Training Stephanie
by Taker and Sting's Girl
Summary: Stephanie McMahon, the daughter of WWF Chairman, Vince McMahon, has been hounded and preyed upon for weeks by the Ministry of Darkness, with the Undertaker leading the helm. Once Stephanie is abducted and begins living her new life as the wife of the Lord of Darkness, does she even want to go back to her old one?
1. Beginning of the End

Backlash - April 25, 1999

As his music hit, "The World's Most Dangerous Man", Ken Shamrock, made his way down the aisle to the ring, to what was to be the most important match of his career. It wasn't about titles, it wasn't even about pride; it was about family, and reconnecting he and his sister, once and for all.

Kenny had made the horrible mistake of leaving his sister, Ryan, in a nearby hotel room the Monday night prior, feeling she'd be safe away from the arena, as he had a match with his former comrade and tag team partner, the Big Boss Man. Little did he know that the Undertaker, and more likely than not, his minions, the Acolytes, Mideon, Viscera, and their trusted advisor, Paul Bearer, collectively known as the Ministry of Darkness, would hunt his little sister down and abduct her once again.

It had been a whole six days since he last saw Ryan, and Kenny knew that in order for him to get his sister back, he had one mission to accomplish: break the leg of the Undertaker.

No one knew exactly what had happened to Mark. Sure, he was always a loner, more on the dark side than others, often leaning towards the shadows rather than being overtly noticing, however, in the past couple of weeks, Taker had changed, and to the views of many, changed for the worst.

His entire look, his trademark long black hair was more wavy now. His facial features, with that long, devilish looking beard, gave him the appearance of a Lucifer or Beelzebub. The way he walked, talked, the way his entire being now centered around causing nothing but pure and utter chaos and destruction, and the look in his eyes as he was doing such, suggested that the Undertaker of previous years, the "Conscience of the WWF", was long gone.

This new Undertaker seemed to thrive on pure evil, and the fact that he had others believing in what he now believed in, made not only the entire locker room stand on notice, but also made Kenny even more aware that getting his little sister back would be no easy feat.

The look on Ryan's face after Kenny ran down to that boiler room to retrieve her after the Ministry had abducted her the first time, told the story of absolute horror.

Even before then, Ryan had been with Taker and his Ministry for an entire week, after initially being abducted, then sacrificed onto the Taker's symbol in front of the entire world. That time, Kenny was powerless to stop what had happened to her, as the entire Ministry had descended and pummeled him during a match prior to her sacrificing, stuffing him in a trunk, then deserting him in a nearby town, miles away from the arena in Grand Rapids.

The next week, after learning of Ryan's whereabouts from Taker himself, Shamrock went on a seek and destroy mission, in the hopes of finding his baby sister, but once again, it was a set up for another vicious beating, courtesy of the Ministry, and what was worse: Ryan was right there, shrieking in horror, as she had a birds-eye view to her one and only brother being destroyed!

Then everything went dark.

Next thing Kenny knew, he was on top of the stage at Raw in Detroit, was strapped to Taker's symbol, as he too was about to be sacrificed! Had it not been for Taker's temper getting the best of him, Taker taking his anger and frustration out on Christian, one of Taker's former Ministry cronies, who was the whistleblower to the whereabouts of Stephanie McMahon, after Taker had abducted her only a week prior to his own sister being kidnapped, Kenny probably would have never seen the light of day.

Kenny thought he had friends.

After freeing himself of a sacrifice, Kenny got back in the ring and called out Taker once and for all, referring to him as "Mark", telling "Mark" how he needed to be "brought down to reality".

Suddenly, the lights went out and out of thin air seemingly, there was Taker, attacking Shamrock from behind! And although Kenny quickly gained the advantage, with his mixed martial arts background kicking into high gear, what was left of the Ministry, after the defection of the Brood, quickly stormed the ring, pulverizing Kenny once more.

That's when Corporation members, Triple H, Chyna, and Big Boss Man, ran down to what many thought was a save for Kenny. After all, they were all members of the Corporation, even if Kenny had shown more allegiance to Vince than to his power hungry son, Shane, in those weeks leading up to that moment.

However, once again, it was a trap! Triple H and Boss Man beat Shamrock down even more, with Kenny being so helpless he couldn't even defend himself. The Ministry, up in the ring, of course, didn't bother to help, and Shamrock took the beating all by himself yet again.

So ultimately, he had no one other than himself to rely on, but even that could prove to be enough to possibly get Ryan back … or so Kenny desperately hoped.

Ryan's initial abduction, her sacrificing, getting beat up in his little sister's presence, and then the second abduction from her own hotel room, meant that Kenny had failed his sister a total of four different times now, and it made him sick to the stomach with agony, but the realization of all this just made him want to hurt Taker even more! Something had to be done about Mark, and Kenny knew that tonight would be the night to do it, because if he didn't…

As the bell tolled and the lights dimmed, a hushed silence fell over the arena, and the sound of the Taker's demonic chant over his music meant only one thing: the Phenom had arrived. Alongside Paul Bearer, Taker and his six foot ten inch frame walked menacingly down the aisle, never taking his eyes off Shamrock.

Taker, as the leader of the Ministry, knew that with his impending victory over Shamrock, he'd only be one step closer to the actual tragedy that he proclaimed would bestow someone during that evening. Failure was not an option.

… And the match was nothing short of physical. Shamrock, from the ultimate fighting world, attacked the vertical base of the Undertaker, over and over again, with Taker making innumerable counters, even going technical himself for most of the match, to equal the mat-base style of Shamrock. However, Shamrock impressed all with how well he was able to manipulate Taker into several different submission holds, and to the surprise of all, actually made Taker scream in pain, something Taker had never done for the entire length of his career in the WWF!

Taker, regaining a small advantage, went for his signature Tombstone Piledriver after whipping Shamrock into the ropes, however, Shamrock, ever resilient, desperately wanting his sister back, countered, and went straight into high gear with his patented ankle lock!

Having never submitted in all of his professional wrestling career, Taker wretched in pain, but he was in the middle of the ring and couldn't reach the ropes! Then, Bradshaw, one half of the Acolytes, ran down to the ring to help his master, baseball bat in hand!

Bradshaw, who wanted revenge, after Shamrock previously attacked him with a baseball bat six days prior, costing he and Farooq a match against the Brood, ran up on the apron, but was quickly knocked down by Kenny. As Shamrock turned around, Taker grabbed him by the throat, and was about to deliver a Chokeslam, but Shamrock counted that into a Loose Drag Arm Bar, with Taker screaming in pain once again!

Suddenly, the crowd began to stand to their feet, everyone turning their head down to the aisle, squinting to figure out who was the dark figure making their way down to the ring was. Even JR and King on commentary at ringside couldn't make out exactly who was coming their way.

The person, as they drew nearer, appeared to be a woman, dressed in a heavy black robe, similar to what Taker's druids wore when accompanying him to the ring occasionally. As Shamrock attempted to make Taker submit once and for all, Paul Bearer got up on the ring ropes and screamed, "Damn you! Damn you to hell!", the nasty verbiage aimed directly Shamrock.

Kenny, relinquishing the hold, got up from the mat and swung wildly, but Paul ducked just in time, right as the hooded figure stood up on the other side of the ring rope. Just as Shamrock was turning his attention back to Taker, who was still down in the middle of the ring, the mystery woman's fingers peeled back the hood of the robe, revealing no one other than Ryan Shamrock!

Kenny, dazed and confused as to what his sister was actually doing there, in the middle of his match, dressed as a druid, no less, simply stared, not because of the shock of seeing his sister once again, but because her looks had drastically changed!

Ryan, who was famous for her cover girl beauty, now looked just as demonic as Taker! She wore heavy black eye shadow that appeared to be smudged all over her usually rosy pink cheeks; her lipstick was a mixture of dark red and black, and her gorgeous blonde locks had been dyed black, as well. She even looked to be sporting a small black hoop nose ring!

Shamrock, just as stunned as everyone else in attendance, finally took a few steps towards whom he _thought_ was his baby sister. As he reached out to her, Ryan simply stood on the apron, saying nothing. Unbeknownst to Kenny, however, Taker was slowly making his way back up onto his feet, right as Paul Bearer slid the baseball bat that Bradshaw had brought under the bottom ring rope, just as he was vertical again. Then, Ryan, who hadn't shown any emotion whatsoever up until that point, suddenly grabbed referee Earl Hebnar, distracting him.

Swinging for an attempted grand slam, Taker hit Kenny forcefully in the back of the head with the bat, causing for it to crack on impact, the crowd in attendance gasping in shock, as JR swore heavily on commentary. They had honestly never seen anything like it before!

There before them all, "The World's Most Dangerous Man" had been knocked unconscious by the hands of the Phenom!

Taker kicked the remnants of the bat out of the ring, and Shamrock, flat on his stomach and out cold, was dragged to his feet by Taker, scooped up, and given the Tombstone Piledriver, finally finishing him off! Bradshaw then grabbed Ryan down from the apron, as the referee suddenly returned his focus onto the match, counting Shamrock out 1,2,3, Taker was declared the victor!

Everyone, including the crowd, King, and JR, were all stunned as to what had exactly just happened. Taker was the winner, but Ryan, what had happened to her? Why was she now dressed like a member of the Ministry? And most importantly, why did she betray her own brother?

Taker, rolling out of the ring, tired, having battled in a hard fought victory, turned his attention towards Ryan, staring at her coldly, Ryan returning Taker's look, fanatically, however. No one had ever seen that look in Ryan's eyes before, as if she was under some kind of trance, as if she had no mind or soul of her own.

JR speculated on commentary as to what Ryan must have gone through while in Taker's possession, with King agreeing that this Ryan looked like a completely different woman than the one who once chased Val Venis around.

Bradshaw, regarding his master, then asked for permission to enter the ring; Taker nodded accordingly. Entering the ring, Bradshaw pushed referee Hebnar out of the way, climbed on top of the fallen and still unconscious Shamrock, and unmercifully hit Kenny over and over again!

While JR shouted "That's not right! By God, this is completely not right! Shamrock can not even defend himself", over his headset, Ryan smiled on gleefully from the outside, and then, climbed into the ring herself and began to laugh hysterically at the sight of Bradshaw delivering blow after blow to her own flesh and blood! Eventually, it took three referees to remove Bradshaw from Shamrock, while Ryan smiled and laughed on maniacally, while everyone seemed to wonder in unison: just what had Taker done to Ryan Shamrock?

And that wasn't even the tragedy.


	2. The Tragedy

Not even paying attention to anyone backstage, Taker and Paul Bearer stalked their way back to their locker room. Taker's victory over Kenny meant that it was finally time for the tragedy that he prophesied about to begin.

Taker could feel the cold stares of the other wrestlers, Val Venis, the Godfather, Goldust, among others hanging round backstage, all fall on him, but being that Taker was who he was, along with being a seasoned veteran, no one dared to say anything out of line to him, fearing for their personal safety, as well. No matter if they all really did feel that Taker was taking his obsession with Stephanie McMahon way too far, no one was about to question anything Taker concocted.

As he entered the locker room, Farooq, Mideon, and Viscera all stood up at once to greet their master. Taker, taking a moment to regain his breath and composure, leaned his heavy frame over the open locker stall. He was so close he could literally taste it. All he needed now was to put his plans into motion, and he alone would stand atop of the World Wrestling Federation … title or no title, for what he sought to conquer was far greater than any title the World Wrestling Federation could ever offer him.

As Bradshaw entered the re-entered the locker room, Taker, not even turning around, asked in a booming voice, "Where's Ryan?"

"She's exactly where you told me to put her, my lord", said Bradshaw.

"Excellent," said Taker.

Suddenly, "No Chance in Hell" filled the locker room. Farooq, pointing at the monitor, noticed that Shane McMahon, the older brother of Stephanie, wearing a black and white referee shirt, was headed down to the ring to "officiate" the highly anticipated Rock vs. Austin bout. That's when Taker spoke up once again, turning around finally to meet his minions in the eye.

"Now's the time to finally strike."

As Taker lead the Ministry out of the locker room, Paul Bearer, with clutched fingers said in the end, "Bless her heart", as the locker room door shut closed.

* * *

><p>"Dad, please don't go. Maybe Shane really does have everything under control," said a timid and shy Stephanie McMahon.<p>

Stephanie, who had been under the now constant watchful eye of her father every since the Ministry began stalking her a few months ago, knew that Vince was under a lot of stress as of late.

Not only did he have to worry about the Undertaker, but his Corporation, with the exception of Jerry Briscoe, Pat Patterson, and a recently beaten Ken Shamrock, had all defected from him, leaving Stephanie's older brother, Shane, all alone to virtually run the entire company since Vince wasn't able to.

On top of all this, Stephanie could also see Vince's allegiance swinging towards Stone Cold Steve Austin, but knowing all what her dad had put Austin through over the past two years, Stephanie was all but certain that Austin didn't want anything to do with Vince. Deep down inside, however, Stephanie knew that as much as either man might not like it, Vince needed Austin just as much as Austin needed Vince, especially if they were going to be taking on Shane and the Corporation.

Steph also couldn't tank the feeling that she was the sole reason as to why all of this was happening. She tried to tell herself over and over again that the recent events of the past few weeks, her having to be in Vince's presence every waking second, Shane being fed up with Vince not being able to make certain business decisions, Shane going as far as slapping their own father in the face in front of millions of people on national television, and Shane eventually taking over the Corporation, was all happening because Mark, whom she thought she had known, had taken up some kind of a twisted obsession with her, but then again, it all came back down to her.

Mark had been with the company for almost a decade now; she saw him from time to time, and even had had friendly conversations with him in the past, but this new person was some kind of sick. She couldn't describe the level of disgust, and quite frankly, pure fear she felt, every time she heard this man's name, let alone even thought about him. He had from out of nowhere taken over entire her life.

She missed her friends, she missed her family, and most importantly, she missed her freedom.

Steph, although having grown up in extreme wealth, was used to doing things for herself. She missed driving to the store and buying shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes even, but each time she was out, she felt like someone was always watching her, trailing her every move, and to her horror, she was right! The saddest part of all this was the fact that the Ministry had been in the one place she felt safest of all, and that was her home in Greenwich.

What was even more chilling, her bedroom, her place of peace and calm, the one place where she could get away from her wrestling oriented family and just be her, had been completely devastated by the hands of the Ministry.

When Steph first walked into her bedroom after the Ministry had shown up, she saw all her personal belongings had been completely ransacked. Her purse, with all of the stuff she kept inside, car keys, Tampons, money, amongst other items, were carelessly flung on the floor. Her drawers had been thrown all over the place, lingerie, bras and panties, were found on the end of doorknobs, on top of her bed, her closet door, and wherever else they could have thrown them. Her favorite red lipstick from Clinique was used to write some weird looking symbol thing onto her mirror, and worst of all, her favorite teddy bear, a present she had received as a little girl, Stephanie's most sentimental item of value, was now missing.

That didn't even include the burning symbol she and her mom, Linda, came home to, flames blowing the ashes over the family's well manicured lawn.

That, she thought was the worst night of her life, until she was later abducted by Taker! Things happened so quickly for Steph, that she could barely remember what even happened to her.

All she could remember was someone holding her down, using a black marker to draw the same symbol she and her mom found burning in her yard and drawn on her dresser mirror, onto her forehead. Then, things went dark, and the next person she saw was Ken Shamrock, who had recently suffered a blood bath from the Brood.

Steph tried hard not to think about that night, but it kept haunting her thought process over and over again. And knowing someone that she once regarded as a friend could do that to her, always just sent the coldest shivers down her spine.

And she didn't know why. She didn't know what she had done to Mark to make him feel the way he felt about her, why he hated her so much, and her only wish in the entire world were for things to finally go back to the way they were before.

But that wasn't reality. Steph's reality, on the other hand, was entirely all too real.

Vince, staring at his baby girl, with a look a father can only give, seeing the worry written all over his daughter's face, replied, "Stephanie, you're safe. Ok? We have some of Providence's finest right outside that door, alright? No one is going to harm you, I promise."

"I know, it's just that … I mean, dad, he just …" Stephanie stammered away.

Vince, with a look of utter concern written all across his face, went on to say, "Steph, I know, you're scared, and quite frankly, you have every right to be. What Mark has done to all of us as a family, especially to you, is beyond words. I know, but Stephanie," Vince said calmly, as he reached out to clasp both of his baby girl's hands. "Steph, listen to me, as your dad, you know, I'm a man of my word. No harm will ever fall upon you. I promise you that."

Stephanie, knowing how much her dad loved her, knew that he would literally die for her, and it would probably be over his dead body if Mark got to her again, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that he was somewhere in this building, waiting to abduct her all over again.

"I know, Dad", Stephanie said as she looked down at their conjoined hands. "It's just that … you saw what he did to Shamrock. If Kenny can't stop Mark, then who can…?" Steph's words trailed away as tears filled her eyes.

Vince was getting beyond pissed now. No matter how many times he and Mark had clashed in the past, Vince never thought that Mark make things so personal between the two of them, going as far as to dragging his innocent daughter into the middle of their feud. Vince knew that if a man could stoop to the levels of having someone kidnapped, then he knew that Mark was capable of anything, and that's what frightened him the most.

On top of this, with no Corporation at his side, Shamrock beaten, and his daughter's well-being resting squarely upon his shoulders, the last thing wanted to worry about was tonight's show, but, he had to make things right with Austin. Even if that did mean swallowing his pride.

"I've got an idea," Vince said looking into Stephanie's eyes, casually running his thumbs over her hands. "How about I check out this last match between Austin and the Rock, but before then, how about we take you out to the limousine? That way, when the match is over, all we have to do is get away from here. What do you say, huh?"

Steph, thrilled that they'd actually draw some distance between she and Mark, then suddenly remembered, "But, Dad, what if they follow me outside and …"

Vince, sensing what his daughter was about to say, cut her off by adding, "Oh, no they won't, because I'm going to walk you out there myself, and if they come anywhere near us, then those fine officers right outside that door will be forced to do their job. We're going to be safe — _you're_ going to be safe, understand?"

Steph, for the first time all day, feeling a little bit safer, looked up at her father and actually smiled, something Vince was thrilled to see, since he hadn't seen his daughter truly smile in weeks.

"Ok," said an exasperated Stephanie.

"That's my baby girl. You ready?" asked Vince, thankful to see his daughter smile again.

"Ready," said Stephanie smiling, standing up to her full height, ready to put this most nauseating night behind her.

"Alright. Let's get ourselves out of here."

And with that, Vince and Stephanie departed the office.

* * *

><p>Near the back of the entrance into the Providence Civic Center, Taker and the rest of the Ministry edged closer and closer to Vince's black limousine, something he always rode in anytime he came to live events.<p>

Taker, noticing the chauffeur outside the limo was taking a smoke break, curled his lips together in an rare smile, however evil it may have been, before snapping his head back to mouth out his instructions. If the Ministry did everything just as he said ordered them to, there'd be no one that could stop them.

"Paul, you and the rest of the Ministry go back inside. If I know Vince, he's always one to plan ahead. I can smell his plan. Stephanie will be out here in the limo, while he takes care of business with Shane and the Rock. Paul, follow McMahon. Make sure that once the match is over, you call me ASAP. Got it?"

Paul, ever the pudgy one, nodded along, rubbing his hands together, looking off into the sky. Taker spoke up once more.

"After the match is over, Paul, that's when everyone else will make their move. DO NOT hurt Stephanie! We want her in the car, nothing more, nothing less, understand?"

The Ministry all nodded along, with Viscera, the heaviest of the group at an awesome 500 pounds, letting out a low chuckle.

"Alright. Now back inside. Paul," Undertaker called, speaking to his long time mentor. "You know what to do."

As everyone walked back inside the arena, Taker, like a thief in a night, crept up slowly on the unaware driver. The night was windy, blowing Taker's hair every which way. He continued to stalk the chauffeur more and more, and then, just as he was about to grab him, Taker's shadow came into his view, frightening him, almost causing the man to yell out in fear had it not been for Taker's claw like hand covering his mouth almost as soon as he turned around. The look on Taker's face told the entire story, and the driver didn't even bother to move; he was too petrified.

Taker spoke the first words afterwards.

"Now, we can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way. Nod once for the hard way, twice for the easy way. Pick your poison."

The driver, scared to death with fear, nodded twice, his piercing blue eyes falling up and down. Taker's next words were simple: "Good choice", and the next thing the driver knew, Taker spun him around so quickly he couldn't even protest, as Taker delivered a scintillating knockout blow to the back of the driver's skull!

Taker, bending down to make sure the driver was absolutely out, raised his left hand, only for it to fall lifelessly back down to the concrete. From there, Taker scooped the driver up, and dumped his unconscious body behind the nearest dumpster. Moving his hair from his face, Taker, back at the limousine again, surveyed the area like a hawk, before carefully entering the driver door, locking it upon entry.

All he had to do now was wait … and that didn't take long at all.

From the rearview mirror, Taker watched as several armed police officers, along with Vince, walked Stephanie to the limousine.

_"Ah, Vince, your predictability has finally gotten the better of you",_ Taker thought menacingly in his mind. He then fine tuned his listening to hear just the conversation they all seemed to be having.

"…Everything will be fine, you just wait for me in the car, ok?", Vince said to Stephanie, who didn't look absolutely assured that things would be. "And uh, I, I, give me a kiss," with Stephanie offering him a small peck on the lips, Vince's way of finally trying to reassure Steph that everything was going to be just fine.

"We'll be on our way to Hartford right after this is over, ok?"

Stephanie, offering a small nod, entered the car, after saying a "love you" to her father. Vince uttered the words back, and Stephanie entered the limousine, closing the door, just as Taker rolled up the partition that separated him from her … if only for a moment. Stephanie, however, just couldn't shake the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that something bad was going to happen … she just didn't know what.

Vince, speaking with the officers, instructed, "You guys please keep a really good eye on her, and I'll be right back as soon as this match is over, and we'll be out of your hair, ok?"

The officers nodded and agreed and kept a very watchful eye over Stephanie as her father entered the arena. From the driver seat, all Taker could think to himself menacingly was "Perfect".

* * *

><p>Back inside the arena, just as Taker had predicted, Vince made his way to ringside, alongside him, senior referee Earl Hebner.<p>

Shane, the admitted partial guest referee for the Rock in his No Holds Barred bout with Stone Cold, had refused to count the pin for Austin after clearly had the match won, after Shane accidentally hit the Rock across the head with the WWF title, sending the already electric crowd into a frenzy.

Shane, who had run out of the ring like a scalded dog, was bumped in the shoulder by Vince, who was determined to give Austin his custom made Smoking Skull belt that Shane had ordered the timekeeper to lock in his office right after the match began. Shane, noticing his father had the belt, turned him around forcefully, demanding to know what was Vince doing with possession of it.

Inexplicably, Shane, with rage seeping out of his pores, tried to forcibly remove the belt from Vince's hands, a small tug of war ensuing afterwards. That's when Shane openly mocked his father, before the elder McMahon took the gold right to the temple of Shane, completely leveling the Boy Wonder!

Back in the ring, Austin was desperate for a ref count, but as soon as he turned around, the Rock was back up, and he too decided to level Austin with the official title gold.

Hebner slid into the ring, and Austin was pinned by the Rock, but Rocky only got a 2 count! The crowd, anxious with excitement and anticipation, relieved that Austin had kicked out, seemed to have life restored in them, but none seemed more thankful than Vince.

The Rock, furious with the ref that he didn't get the three count, went back over the discarded belt, and attempted to hit Austin in the head with it one more time, but only ended up walking into the Stone Cold Stunner!

The Rock, drunkenly dazed by Austin's signature maneuver, then walked into another shot to the head with the title belt! Referee Hebner then counted out the Rock, 1,2,3, and the crowd went absolutely ballistic, with JR screaming "Stone Cold, Stone Cold," over the headset to the people at home!

Vince, with a look of relief on his face, watched on from the aisle-way, as Austin celebrated in the ring, while Shane lay groggily on the ground. A a few moments later, Austin watched McMahon carefully, as he presented Austin with his property, the Smoking Skull belt, sliding it under the bottom ring rope, before heading into the backstage area to leave the arena with Stephanie!

Backstage, Paul, who was lurking in the shadows, made the call to Taker. "It's all done."

"Is the match over?", Taker asking in his murky voice.

"It's all over, my lord," Paul said within hissing laughter, barely able to contain his sinister laughter. "Shall I send the rest of the Ministry out now?"

"Do it."

Just as Taker hung up the phone, he noticed Stephanie had rolled down her window and was speaking to a few of the officers who had been assigned to protect her. One of the officers spoke with her warmly, "You know your father would never let nothing happen to you. I have a little boy…"

And before he could get the rest of his sentence out, the Ministry began approaching the car, Bradshaw screaming out, "STEPHANIE!", as they began to stalk towards her. The officers on high alert, stopped the Ministry in their tracks, while others began banging on the car, signaling the driver to get Stephanie out of harm's way. Once the car had pulled off, however, Stephanie began pleading with the driver to stop, since Vince was still left behind at the arena.

"Driver?! Driver stop wait for my dad! Driver?!"

Just then, Taker rolled down the partition, snapped his head back, and looked back evilly at Stephanie, asking the most heart-wrenching question Stephanie had ever heard in her life: "Where to Stephanie?"

Stephanie screamed for her father, but Taker's evil and maniacal laughter drowned even that out, as it was all too late, because the one man Vince wanted desperately to stay away from his daughter had literally abducted her right from up under his nose again!


	3. Obedience is Key

As the limo veered around the corner only a few blocks away from the Civic Center, Taker carefully backed the limo up into a small dark alleyway, which was wide enough to avoid the other car that was conveniently parked on the left hand side.

Taker could hear Steph in the back crying, pleading, begging for the car to stop, but her pleas were falling on deaf ears. She was desperately trying to free herself, banging on the windows, tugging on the door handle, constantly pressing the button to the door's lock, but it was no use. Both of Stephanie's doors were being controlled by Taker in the driver seat, and if she wanted to get out, she had to go through him.

Putting the car in park, Taker, smelling the fresh air of the night, got out of the car and walked quickly to Stephanie's door. Once open, Taker grabbed Steph by both ankles and pulled her to him effortlessly, as she screamed out a hefty "Nooooooo!", but Taker simply ignored her.

The alley, which was located next to a financial institution in the downtown area, was deserted, but Taker didn't want to take any chances of a potential cleaning crew or nearby bum hearing her, so he grabbed Stephanie by her waist with his left hand, placed his massive right hand over her mouth, and spoke to her calmly, but just with enough malice in his voice to terrify her into submission.

"Stephanie, I don't want to hurt you, but if you keep this up …" Undertaker's words trailed off, as he brought his left hand up from her waist and used it to stroke the side of her face with it. Stephanie, with tears rolling down her cheeks, flinched unconsciously, knowing all to well that only God knew what was going to happen to her now. Taker spoke up once more.

"Now, Princess, you have two options: get in the car with me and be a good little girl, OR", his voice heightening, his strong hands leaving her mouth and pulling Stephanie to him, chest to chest, by both arms, "OR, I can place you in the trunk. Hartford is only about an hour and forty five minute drive away from here, but you don't want to ruin this gorgeous face in trunk, now do you, Steph?" Taker ended, stroking Stephanie's long mousy brown hair.

However, as the absolute master of the mind games, Taker already knew Stephanie's answer before she said it and it had nothing to do with the choices he had presented to her, either.

"Please … I want to go home," Steph's voice trailing off with fear. "Please, my dad will give you whatever you want. Please …"

Taker, looking into Stephanie's blue eyes, gave her one of the most evil smiles she had ever seen in her entire life, simply told her, "Wrong answer."

Just then, just like the driver before her, Taker whipped Stephanie around so fast, her back now facing his chest, she honestly didn't even realize what had happened. Taker then grabbed Stephanie around the mouth and forcefully ushered her to the other awaiting vehicle, abandoning the limo.

Then, out of the darkness, a hooded figure, another druid, mysteriously came forward. Stephanie then heard an unstrapping sound, feeling tape, duct tape to be exact, making a circle around her ankles!

_"No, no, not again!"_

Stephanie, desperate for freedom, raked with fear, clamped her teeth down as hard as she could on Taker's hand, forcing him to immediately switch positions, drawing a forearm around Stephanie's neck, cutting off her oxygen supply immediately. Then, with his hand now free from Stephanie's mouth, put his mouth directly to her ear, but yanked back her hair until it couldn't bend anymore, the pressure in her head feeling as if she were being scalped!

"If you ever try a stunt like that again, you won't have a mouth!"

As soon as he let go of her hair, Steph's neck snapped downwards, as the druid, using his teeth, bit the duct tape, securing her legs, as he immediately began working on her hands, clasping them in front of her, as well, biting the tape once again, securely fastening her hands to the front of her, before finally placing a lone piece of tape over her delicate lips, a stream of heavy tears flowing down her angelic face.

Taker's voice suddenly illuminated the alleyway again.

"Open the trunk," he ordered to his minion.

That's when Steph began to fight all over again, renewed efforts of trying to break free from her captors, energizing her entire body, struggling against the almost solid steel holding of Taker's morbidly strong hands. But in the end, it was no use, as the druid and Taker collectively hoisted Stephanie up by the legs and underarms, placing her in the trunk, spare tire and all.

Stephanie, frightened beyond description, looked up to see Taker nod his head to the druid once, before turning his head back to her, rolling his eyes into the back of his head, and finally closing the trunk down.


	4. Unlawfully Wedded Wife

As Taker closed the trunk door, he slowly turned his head back to the still covered druid, who conveniently handed him a pair of car keys, which Taker quickly snatched away; the druid simply bowed away, as his master entered the driver side of the four door sedan.

Taker, looking back in the rearview mirror, saw the druid getting into his own vehicle, quickly exiting the alleyway, while Taker merely sat there for a moment, thinking to himself about how after months and months of planning, execution, and yes, even some setbacks, he finally had _her_, and what's more, he was finally going to keep her.

Vince, the Corporation, even the Board of Directors themselves in Stanford, were all powerless to stop him now. He promised there'd be a tragedy … and this was only the beginning.

As Taker sped away down the interstate, he tried driving a mixture of moderately to extremely fast, just to scare Stephanie, who was still in the trunk. He knew that her getting used to her new life would take some coercing, so what better time than now to finally teach her the rules of the playbook?

Picking up his cell phone, Taker called Paul, who was at the location he had set out for them to hideout at until Raw the next night. Taker was 100% positive that Vince had his people scouring all the nearby hotels in Hartford, on the lookout for them, but he wasn't about to give them the satisfaction of locating them. Working under the close tutelage of Vince McMahon himself for the past nine years had taught him a great deal, and just like a favorite book, he knew exactly what to expect next.

As the voice on the other end answered, Taker went about going over the plan for he and Stephanie.

"Is everything in place?" asked Taker, in his burly sounding voice.

Paul, who sounded to be outside, answered, "Everything's in order, my lord. All we're doing now is waiting on your unholy arrival."

"Good, now, once we get there, have everything set in place for tomorrow. We don't want any mishaps, understand?"

Paul merely agreed on the other end as Taker spoke up once more. "I'll be at the destination within the next hour. Don't screw up."

And with that, he snapped his phone closed. They were all so close to their final destination and Taker hoped that Vince was ready for the ride.

As Taker exited the interstate, he drove for a few more miles, until he finally got to the gate of an old abandoned building. Ahead, he could see one of his druids standing by the old worn out gate, waiting to unlock it. Driving up, Taker was immediately allowed entrance, as the druids hurriedly closed the gates behind the sedan.

Driving up to the side of the dark and dank looking building, Taker noticed a new litter of kittens suckling their mother under the building as he got out. The air wasn't as crisp as it was in Providence. Here, it smelled dirty, dingy, and musky ... something he liked. As he exited the car, Viscera walked slowly behind him, he too with a look of possession written all across his face. Handing the mammoth of a man the car keys, Taker order Viscera to take Stephanie out of the trunk.

Upon opening it, Stephanie, still tied up, the tears having dried up on her face, barely making out the face in front of her from the bumpy car ride over, simply stared up in fear, as Viscera swooped down and grabbed by her wrists, throwing her light body over his shoulder, taking her inside the abandoned warehouse.

Stephanie, even though she was too exhausted to even put up a fight, had already made it up in her mind that she wouldn't fight this time. God only knew what these men were capable of, and she didn't want to provoke them. Knowing Mark and how he seemed to thrive on causing pain, Steph knew it would be better is she didn't make him even more upset than he already was.

The warehouse, which looked and smelled like it had been abandoned for decades, was to be the Ministry's official headquarters until all was taken care of the next night on Raw. Then, the final piece of the puzzle would be put into place.

Viscera, kicking open a door forcefully with his huge foot, scaring Stephanie enough just to make her jump in his arms, threw her tense bound and gagged body down forcefully on a lone mattress that lay on the ground, just as Stephanie was attempting to make sense of it all, the heavy metal door to the room emphatically closed with a heavy thud.

Where was she? The room smelled like a mixture of an old run down mill, grass, dirt, and animal feces, a smell that would be highly sickening had one just eaten. The mattress was hard and dusty, and springs from the worn out mattress stuck sharply in Stephanie's side, causing her to roll from side to side in uncomfortableness.

Steph tried to think of the positive. She just knew that her dad or the police — someone — was going to come into this place, rescue her from the Ministry, and that she'd finally go back to living a normal life. She'd go back to Greenwich to her room, her friends, her red sports car, and everything would be ok. Or at least that's what she kept telling herself, but deep down inside …

Then, out of nowhere, a bird flocked overhead, squawking loudly scaring Stephanie half to death, the sound of it flapping its wings in the high barred window above putting Steph even more on edge than she already was.

She just tried to still herself, physically and mentally. Steph tried to think of happy thoughts, but all of her concentration kept going back to her friends and family and how she might never see them again.

Steph must have lay there for at least ten minutes, stroking her mental anguish, when she heard the big metal door open and close with that violent thud once more. Although the only light entering the room came from the moon that was shining through the window, Steph made out exactly who was standing before her: Mark!

Steph, just lying there, with every nerve in her body standing on end, didn't know whether to pass out from the mental torture this man was putting her through or bawl like a baby. She opted for silence instead.

Taker, all six feet plus of him, walked slowly over to her, then relaxed a steel chair that was propped up in the corner, positioning it directly adjacent from where Steph lay, just so he could stare at her.

Steph, blinking feverishly, simply hyperventilated with anticipation, but her breathing was so constricted from the tape that was placed over her mouth that it dawned on Stephanie that if she didn't calm down, she could pass out from not enough oxygen passing through her body. She was that close to having a full blown panic attack!

But she couldn't control herself. She had absolutely no idea what this man was going to do to her next. The only thing that could be heard in the room was her rapid breathing and the flapping of the wings from the bird in the window.

Then, from out of nowhere, Taker, who was catlike in his movements, pounced on Stephanie, causing her to not only shriek out in fear, but also causing the bird to get the hell out of there! Taker was on her so quickly, all Stephanie could do was rely on instinct — and that instinct told her to fight, bound legs and all!

Even though she had told herself she wasn't going to fight, she just couldn't help herself. She was hungry, dirty, panicked, and mentally beaten, but she wasn't dead yet, so she still had some fight still left in her. However, all her fighting just seemed to wear her out instead of causing any physical pain to Mark. Taker then grabbed both of her bound wrists with only his one, holding her down easily with his right hand, putting his strong left leg by the knee right in between her thighs, the tape around her ankles straining from the force.

_"This is it! This is when he …"_ Steph cautioned herself in her head.

She then began to cry relentlessly. Cold tears of course would have no effect on a man such as this, she knew that much, but at that moment, she was honestly just hoping for a miracle.

That's when Taker started to unbound her. First her wrists, then her ankles. He looked up at her and told her sternly, "Don't move". And she didn't. As soon as she was unbound, she instantly felt the blood rush back into her fingers and toes. Now, it was up to Taker to decide what to do with her next, as Steph continued to lie on the mattress literally frozen from sheer terror.

Then, Taker reached up at her mouth and yanked the tape off forcefully, causing Steph to scream out in pain. She was sobbing now, a low sob, as she had her head turned into the stinky, disgusting mattress. She just wanted this all over and done with.

_"If you're going to do it, just do it,"_ Steph thought to herself, but she knew better to dare utter those words: they might just be her last.

Taker, simply watching intently as Steph continued to sob on the inside of mattress, suddenly lay his huge frame next to hers, pulling Steph to him tightly. Steph tried to stop herself from crying, after all, she was a McMahon, but she just didn't think losing her virginity would happen like _this_!

She then felt Taker's cold hand around her bare belly, after her blouse had been lifted up some due to her position on the mattress. From there, his other hand carefully began stroking her matted and knotted hair, Steph was cold as ice with 's when he began speaking to her again, his mouth to her ear, methodically, slowly.

"I guess it is true what they said about you," after of which, he let out a low, grungy chuckle. "You're mine, Stephanie. Get used to it."

And just at that moment, the hand that was stroking her hair, reached down to the button of her black pants, which surprisingly Stephanie hadn't soiled yet. Taker spoke again, telling her something in her ear that set her mind ablaze with angst.

"We won't do this right now, but, after our moment tonight on Raw …" Taker drawled out into that evil laughter of his. He spoke up once again. "Less than twenty four hours, Stephanie."

And with that, Taker simply got up from the mattress, and as he reached the door, looked back at Stephanie, turned, walked away, and closed the door behind him.

Less than twenty four hours. That's all the time Steph had until her world officially collapsed.


	5. The Decision

Steph laid on the disgusting mattress all night long, tossing and turning. Sleep? What was that?

As the night grew shorter, Stephanie knew that this crazed and demented man, whom she foolishly mistook for a friend, was going to — she didn't even want to think about it, but she just couldn't help herself. She was mad, she was pissed off, she was hurt, and the worst part, there wasn't a damn thing she could do about any of this.

The dark night sky quickly turned into bright early morning, and Stephanie knew that her time was drawing closer and closer. She just kept thinking over and over again, "Why me?" What could she or her father have done to Mark for him to victimize her like this?

Steph knew that her father wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, however, when Mark or anyone else really needed something, Vince was always right there to help. The man people saw on TV versus the real Vince McMahon behind the scenes was someone completely different.

And Stephanie guessed the same thing could be said about Mark, too.

One moment he was being nice to her, laughing, someone Steph thought she could draw friendly conversation out of every now and then, the next, he was stalking her every move, invading her privacy, and kidnapping her! Had she unknowingly spurned some kind of advancement he may have made that she wasn't aware of … or had he had planned this all along? Stephanie really couldn't put anything past Mark. This was the same man who caused his brother's face to be permanently scarred.

Steph's poor mind was plagued with anguishing questions. What would happen to her family if she was no longer apart of it? Would her friends miss her? And most importantly, what did Mark have in store for her? If he only wanted sex from her, did that mean he would release her after he got what he wanted?

Going by the angle of the sun, Steph estimated that it must have been at least eight or nine in the morning. She had literally sat up all night, rocking back and forth, worrying herself into oblivion about the what if's of her dire situation.

She thought about trying to yell for help, but she was too afraid of the repercussions that would follow. She even tried scaling the wall in hopes of reaching the window, but it was too high for her, and she had nothing to latch on to, so those plans for escape fell through, as well. The only thing in the room was the mattress. She looked around for the chair that Mark had been sitting in the night before, but he had obviously taken it with him.

There was no way out. Stephanie was trapped.

* * *

><p>At the Marriott Hotel in Downtown Hartford, Vince and his two best friends, Jerry Briscoe and Pat Patterson, all sat around the hotel suite, sick with despair about what had happened the night before.<p>

Vince couldn't believe that he had been so stupid as to leave Stephanie with those goofy cops just in order to make things right with Austin, when his priorities should have been with his daughter. Linda, being consoled by Pat, was completely grief stricken, rocking back and forth on the bed, confused, hurt, startled that her only daughter had been kidnapped by someone the family had trusted as a close friend, not just an employee.

What would Mark do to Stephanie and why was he doing all this? What point was he trying to make? Over the past few weeks, Linda had noticed a severe transformation in Mark, one that was indescribably evil. She had warned the board of directors about Mark's erratic behavior turning psychotic on numerous occasions, however all warned against actually taking action, since the ratings and advertising for the show had seemed to skyrocket while Mark was on top, so she backed off. But now, things had taken the ultimate turn for the worst, and it was now causing she and Vince's one and only daughter everything.

"Vince, I think you ought to call the cops, the FBI, or something, Vince," said Pat in an voice packed with urgency. Vince, about to speak, was cut off by Pat again.

"No, no, Vince, listen. I know that you want to do things _his_ way, but doing things _his_ way has gotten us absolutely nowhere. Look at what's happened to Stephanie, and Vince, that's my goddaughter. I want to see her back safe and sound just like you and Linda, and in order to do that, we've got to call the proper authorities."

Vince, looking at Linda and the pain that she was in, then turning to look at Briscoe, who had the same amount of concern as everyone else, knew what Pat was saying was absolutely right, but Vince just did not want to throw the cops in this matter for the simple fact that Mark might go off the hinges even more, and God only knew what he'd do to Stephanie then.

"No, no. Let's do things his way, ok? You've seen what he's done to the Bossman, what's he's done to Ryan Shamrock, let's just …"

Just then, a knock at the door interrupted Vince's sentence. Vince, rising from the bed, gave out a sigh and looked out the peephole. It was exactly who he thought it would be. Vince, opening the door, greeted Matthew, his attorney, into the room.

"Vince, I'm sorry we have to meet under these types of circumstances," said Matthew, who was exceptionally good looking, with blonde hair, green eyes, and just enough facial hair to still look the part of a poised professional.

"Yeah, I know, come in," Vince said in a husky voice which suggested that he hadn't been asleep enough since this whole fiasco between he and Mark started.

Matthew, entering the room, sat down at the table that separated the bedroom and the living room in the hotel's suite. Vince, looking on sternly as Matthew brought his briefcase up to his lap, asked sternly, "Do you have the papers?"

Matthew, letting out a sad sigh of his own, replied, "Yeah, Vince, they're right here."

Vince nodded slowly, "Good, good."

That's when Linda finally spoke up. "No, Vince, I can't let you do this. What will happen to the family if you give up your majority stake in the company? There must be another way."

Vince, wishing to God there was another way out of this mess, remarked to his wife, "Linda, what other choice do we have? Huh? What other choice do we have? I have racked my brain over and over and over again, and nothing has come out of it. I'm at wits end. I'm doing what I know will get our daughter back. As far as this company goes, well, Linda, you'll still have minority interest. Mark will have majority. That much is for certain. We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it. Until then, our number one priority right now is to get Stephanie back."

Vince, looking around the room for opposition, didn't get any. Linda, tears steamrolling down her face, simply nodded and bowed her head. Vince, rubbing his wife's shoulders and telling her it'd be ok, sat down next to Matthew and asked, "Now, where do I sign?"


	6. Mr & Mrs Lord of Darkness

Stephanie estimated another two hours or so must have gone by before the iron door that held her captive from the outside world re-opened again.

Steph, cold, shaky, confused, laying in the fetal position, back to the wall, butt on the hard and damp floor, looked up with watery eyes to see none other than Ryan Shamrock, but it wasn't the Ryan Shamrock of old.

The old Ryan had gorgeous flowing blonde hair, a beautiful pink pout, and striking blue eyes. This Ryan Shamrock had all black hair tied into a ponytail, with some of her hair still flowing down her back, her lips were painted the same miserable color, and her sea blue eyes looked as dead as a graveyard.

As Ryan drew closer, Stephanie took in more of her surprisingly new wardrobe. On the surface, she wore a sheer black top with sheer black sleeves that fell off her shoulders, which was also covered by a black lace corset, coupled with a red, black, and white pleated plaid skirt, with ruffles underneath. Underneath that, Ryan also had on a black and red semi-sheer fishnet tights, and those chunky black boots with the leather and metal straps for adornments came all the way to her knees.

In her hands, Ryan seemed to be carrying something, but Steph couldn't make out exactly what it was until Ryan got almost a foot and a half away from her, then she smelled the tantalizing aroma of food! The tray, with a light assortment of fruits, a small bowl of cereal and milk, orange juice, and water, looked absolutely delicious. It had been several hours since Steph had last eaten anything, but she didn't want to take any chances, either. What if it was laced with poison?

Stephanie, merely eyeing the tray, was given her first conversation outside of Mark since her abduction.

"Eat," Ryan ordered, in a monotonic like voice, kneeling down in front of Steph. "Our master wants you well fed before tonight's ceremony."

_"Master?"_ Stephanie thought mentally. _"Ceremony? What is she talking about?"_

From looking at the great assortment that had been laid out for her, both her hands and her stomach began to deceive her, as she reached out for the spoon that contained the cereal. Smelling it first and deciding it was ok, Steph dove into it, wasting no time devouring all that was in front of her. Ryan, who obviously now owed her allegiance to Taker, simply watched on as Stephanie ate away, not even taking a whole ten minutes to force all the food in the back of her throat.

As Stephanie finished, she looked over at Ryan again, and simply could not believe the transformation this woman had gone through. Then Stephanie all of the sudden felt a surge of guilt.

Here she was only concerned about herself and her well-being, when poor Ryan had gone through just as much as she had gone through these last couple of weeks, from also being kidnapped twice, just like Stephanie had, and eventually sacrificed before the entire world! Stephanie knew that poor Kenny must've been at wits end about his sister's ordeal, as well. That's when Steph decided to reach out to her.

"Wha — wha — what did they do to you?" Steph asked within stutters. She could only imagine what Mark and the rest of the Ministry had put her through, in order for Ryan's entire appearance to do a complete 180. In some aspects, Steph truly did wanted to know. Maybe she and Ryan could formulate some type of plan to help each other get out of this mess, but on the other hand, maybe she didn't. Maybe Ryan's treatment foreshadowed what was going to happen to _her_ next, sending an involuntary chill down her spine, causing her to shake with panic.

That's when Steph noticed that Ryan's rote facial structure suddenly crept into a small, demonic looking smile.

_"__Oh, God, it's worse than I thought"_, Steph thought to herself, looking at Ryan turn from night to day so quickly. As Ryan began to speak, Stephanie quickly realized that something was terribly wrong.

"Our master has not done anything to me, besides open my eyes, Stephanie," Ryan said as she picked up the tray, looking up once to add, "As the same thing will be done to you."

Ryan, getting up on her feet from her knees, looked down at Stephanie, who had a fresh batch of tears in her eyes, simply shaking her head.

_"__Any woman would be proud to marry our Lord of Darkness, and here this brat is crying, as if marrying Master does her some of disservice!"_ Ryan thought to herself in disgust. Just then, Steph clasped her hands together and tried to speak to Ryan once again.

"You … you … you said something about a ceremony," Stephanie stammered with enough fear in her heart to capsize a Titanic like ship. "What ceremony are you exactly talking about? Why am I here? Please, help me!"

That's when Ryan, dropping the tray, ordered Steph to "Shh…".

Ryan, kneeling down again, grabbed Steph's face and put in directly in front of hers, causing the tears that had settled in Steph's red and puffy eyes, to fall down her face. "They'll hear you", Ryan commanded softly, but just with enough urgency to remind Steph to keep her voice down.

"If they hear you, you'll be in big trouble. Our master likes to hurt people…"

Just as Ryan was about to complete her statement, she and Stephanie both turned their attention to a God awful scream coming from the outside of the door, a screamed that seemed to be muffled all too quickly, then another sound, like a lashing sound, could be heard, with another whooshing noise immediately following it! That's when Ryan turned her attention back to Stephanie, mindlessly staring at her master's soon to be mistress.

Steph, still confused as ever, asked quietly of Ryan again, "Please, tell me, what does Mark want with me? What am I doing here?"

"Don't you ever dare to call our master by his name!" Ryan scolded, with a shiver crawling all across her body. She could only imagine what would happen to her if she dared to utter the Lord of Darkness' given name, let alone anyone else.

"Can't you see? Our master wishes to marry you."

"WHAT!?" Stephanie yelled out! Ryan tried to shush her again, but the overwhelming nausea coupled with all the agony and panic she had balled up inside of her, caused to her to look around the room with hysteria!

Steph immediately went for the walls again, jumping up and down at it, desperately trying to reach the ledge of it. Then, just as fast as she dashed for it, Stephanie grabbed Ryan by both arms with a resurgence of strength, suddenly collapsing to her knees, begging unmercifully. "Please, please … you've got to let me speak to Mark. My dad will give him anything he wants! Please, I want to go home …"

And before Steph could get her next word out, Ryan, having seen and heard enough of Steph's blatant disobedience for her new life, reached back and struck Stephanie right across her face, not enough to physically hurt her, but with enough force to bring her back down to her new reality!

Ryan, grabbing Steph by her shoulders now, shook her a bit and told her with biased truth, "This is _your_ world now! Get used to it! How dare you rebuff our master? Do you know what an honor it is to actually be the mistress of the highest member of the Ministry? You ungrateful …"

Steph, feeling a slap coming down on her face again, turned her head away quickly, waiting for the blow, but it never came. When she turned back around, Ryan was simply staring down at her with a horrifying glare, continuing with her high praise.

"You don't seem to understand. Our master has gone through great lengths to reveal the error of my ways and pretty soon, you'll see things the way that I see them. The Lord of Darkness is all knowing and he knows exactly what's best for us. We're all here to serve our master, and even if necessary, _die_ for our master, and if you don't, you'll be severely punished!"

Stephanie, crying hysterically at this point, suddenly jumped again as she heard more screams coming from outside of the door, this time, accompanied by laughter, which didn't stop as quickly as the other one's had. That's when Ryan, with Steph looking up at her now helplessly, continued.

"See what I mean?" Ryan, letting go of Stephanie's shoulders, reached down to pick up the discarded tray, walked over to the door, and spoke to Stephanie one last time before departing.

"This was just the beginning. I'll be back shortly to help you further prepare for tonight's ceremony."

And with that, she left out the room, the iron door shutting firmly behind her.

Steph, who had cried all too much at this point, simply stared into blank space, as the reality of all of this suddenly came crashing down upon her. Then just like before, Stephanie jumped, as she heard another set of screams coming from the outside.

_"Oh, my God, they're beating Ryan!"_, Stephanie thought to herself in distress. Was it because of Ryan trying to warn her that Mark was now punishing her?

Would she too suffer the same fate?


	7. The Pre-Arrival

Stephanie lay there for, what she thought was another hour, maybe an hour and a half, before the door to the room re-opened for the third time. Once again, Ryan Shamrock re-entered the room, but this time, she wasn't holding a tray. This time, what she held literally rattled as she made her steps towards Stephanie.

Coming into view, Steph was mortified when she looked up to see Ryan carrying a set of matching chains — huge rusted gray shackles, like the ones prisoners sported — and she was coming at her with them!

Ryan, bending down at Stephanie's feet, began to whisper to her. "Our master doesn't want you to escape."

Stephanie, in horror, began pleading again, "No, no, please, anything, please, I'll do anything, please…"

"Quiet! He'll hear you! You must do as you're tol …"

Just as quickly as Ryan could get her sentence out, Taker, all six foot ten of him, opened the door and stood within its threshold, Ryan and Stephanie, both looking up at him with a vision of horror. _"_

_What is he planning to do with us?"_ Stephanie wondered.

Would Taker punish them for speaking out of turn? Had Stephanie gotten Ryan in trouble again? Folding his heavily tattooed arms, Taker stared down at the two women, saying only one word: "Now!"

That's when Ryan jumped to her feet like something had startled her and said, "Yes, my lord,", before grabbing Stephanie by the arms, pulling her upright, and started to undress her!

First, her shirt went, followed her bra, revealing the cups of her creamy smooth breasts, which Stephanie was quick to cover up. Ryan moved on to the waistband of her pants, pulling those down, as well, before moving on to her panties, placing her index finger inside and quickly snatching them down, causing Stephanie to fall back on the mattress! She knew that Mark was still standing there, taking in her now completely naked body, seeing places no one else but she and God had seen!

She wanted to fight back, she wanted to free herself, or at least create some distance between her nude body and Mark, but she knew she'd be punished. She didn't want to get Ryan in trouble for not doing her job correctly, either, but by God, she was uncomfortable with this entire ordeal!

Ryan then yanked Steph up by her arms again, running the length of the chains over her hands, locking them together with an emphatic _clink_, then bending down to her ankles to chain them, as well. She connected a shorter chain that feel between her hands and her throat, revealing a huge padded locked that was to be fasted around her neck, with another small chain resting between Steph's wrists and ankles, forming a bond between the chains.

Ryan, positioning the chains so that her skin wasn't also capture, closed the lock behind her neck, with Stephanie using her forearms to cover her naked breasts, but when she tried to cross her legs a bit from revealing the light brown fuzz that resided between her legs, she felt her neck tug down a bit.

That was because all the chains were interconnected, and she literally had to move her into body in order to gain any traction! If she moved any part of her body more than a few inches, her other parts of her body would suffer from the constraints!

Ryan all of the sudden began pulling on her by the chain between her neck and wrists, almost causing Stephanie to fall, forcing her to concentrate on her movements. As they passed by Taker, who was still in the doorway unmoved, Steph could feel his cold stare fall upon her bare backside, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

They quickly turned a corner, so quick Stephanie couldn't make out any of the physical characteristics of the building since it was still daytime. Steph could also hear the faint sound of running water getting louder and louder as they entered a rundown looking locker room, the first shower in the stall being reserved for Stephanie, as Ryan had set aside an assortment of bath products.

Ryan, pushing Steph under the shower head, which was running the warm water, began lathering her body with soap, running a sponge smoothly over her body, as she stood there chained, water running down her head and over her face. Thankfully, Ryan wasn't as rough as she was bathing Stephanie as she was before bringing her into the locker room.

As Ryan continued to run the sponge over Stephanie's breasts, stomach, between her nether regions, over her legs, and back up again over her buttocks, Stephanie, shivering with anticipation, feeling as if her entire body was about to go limp, but the chains reinforced that she couldn't faint. If she did, her neck would surely suffer on her journey down to the floor.

Ryan then began to lather Stephanie hair with a shampoo. Fortunately for her, the soap, going all into Stephanie's eyes, surprisingly didn't burn. After her hair was thoroughly rinsed, Ryan lathered Steph's hair one more time for good measure, rinsed, then applied a leave in conditioner. After this, Ryan then reached over by Stephanie's glistening body, turned the water off, before wrapping Stephanie up in a fluffy towel.

After the show, the two, Steph, still forcing herself to concentrate on her movements, made their way over to a bench, where Ryan continued to dry off Stephanie's wet body. Once she was completely dry, she wrapped Stephanie in a second towel, then slowly began to combing out her hair, not roughly, but gently, making sure it was free of both tangles and knots. Her master wouldn't be happy about that.

After making sure her hair was completely tangle free, Ryan escorted Steph back into her room. This time, Steph was able to make out the fact that they were in some kind of abandoned warehouse, with several of the warehouse's window panes being broken out. The floor was covered in rocks and dirt, and she could see members of the Ministry, including Mark, standing in the middle of the room, the only piece of furniture surrounding them being a lone, wooden table, which they all happened to be gathered around.

Just then, Ryan yanked her back into the room by the chains, forcing her to sit in a wooden chair that had been placed in the room.

"Stick your arms out, Master is going to have to unchain you", Ryan said remotely, leaving Stephanie was embarrassed. For one, she didn't want Mark seeing her naked more than he already had. Two, why wasn't Ryan the one who was going to unchain Steph, since it who did all the initial chaining? Grabbing a small bit of courage Stephanie, however, decided to speak up. "Why can't you do it for me, Ryan, please?"

Just then, her question was answered, as Mark re-entered the room, covered in his black robe, but without his hood on, leaving his wavy black hair fluttering in the breeze as he stalked forward, Ryan simultaneously walking backwards as her master made it to Stephanie's frozen and naked body.

Taker, running a hand over Stephanie's face, felt chills pop up all over her body. Taker didn't mind however: fear, respect, and obedience went hand in hand.

As Taker unlocked the collar from around Stephanie's neck, he crept a lone index finger down her spine, drooping down to her bottom, almost causing Stephanie to shriek out in terror. Then, stepping forward a bit more, Taker put his almost solid steel chest directly against her soft, sweet smelling back, wrapped his arms around her body, lifted up her arms, unlocking her wrists.

Moving from behind her, Taker then dropped down to one knee, looking up at her body, from her feet, to her thighs, to the hair that lay snuggly between her legs, her breasts, then that angelic face. Unlocking her feet, Taker stepped back and mysteriously eyed his bride to be.

Stephanie, completely frozen, followed Taker with her eyes, as he made his way over to Ryan, who was standing in the nearby corner, watching intently as Taker took an index finger, running it across Ryan's jawline. That's when Ryan closed her eyes and shivered, not from fear, but from the sheer fact that her master was actually touching her in such a way. When she re-opened them, she saw an evil sparkle in Taker's eyes, and as he bowed out the room, leaving both Ryan and Stephanie standing there silently, before Ryan began helping Stephanie dress in her undergarments.

The menu selection: a black lace semi-sheer bra, coupled with the same semi-sheer bikini panties. And what Steph found most startling was the fact the panties, especially the bra, fit her perfectly!

_"__That's what they must have been doing in my room!"_ Steph thought on horridly. And if finding her measurements was the true reason why the Ministry had broken into her home, just how long had Mark been planning her abduction?

Ryan then went over to the floor and picked up a black suit protector, and after unzipping it, revealed a black gown, so long in fact that Steph knew that just from looking at it that it would almost reach her feet. Then, without any protests from Stephanie, Ryan helped her into the dress, zipping it in the back, quite possibly, zipping Stephanie's future up with it.

After she was fitted into the grown, Ryan unearthed a shoe box, containing black chunky like boots, similar to the ones Ryan was wearing; she too stepped into those, instantly growing at least three inches taller. Ryan then instructed Steph to bend her neck down, where she latched on a black leather choker. Her hair, having air-dried, was frizzy, so Ryan ran a comb and brush over it again, along with a palm full of glosser, giving her hair a nice shine their master desired.

Now that Steph was all groomed and pampered, "Now what?", is what Stephanie thought to herself. What was going to happen now?

Ryan, not even saying a word, came back up to her and chained her yet again, the weight causing her to droop her small frame down in pain. After she was securely in place, Ryan, took the empty box and bag out of the room, departing. Just as quickly as she left, Viscera and Mideon entered the dark and dank room, both smiling wickedly at Steph. With nowhere to run and definitely nowhere to hide, the two demons came over to her, grabbed her by each arm, and almost drug her out of the room!

Steph, panicking now, began begging unmercifully, but her cries fell on deaf ears, as Mideon and Viscera seemed to laugh and mock her torment! Around her, she could see the Acolytes, Farooq and Bradshaw there, as well, along with Paul Bearer, who was dressed in all black, with Taker standing by the doorway, along with 3 robed druids.

As Stephanie got closer to the door, one of the druids reached out and opened the door, the light from sun blinding Stephanie instantly as she reached the muddy ground to the outside. Steph, still trying to put up a fight, pleading, begging, was then thrown into an awaiting limousine. Taker then stood in the doorway and whispered a few instructions to Paul, before getting in the back with her!

The car, then backing out from the old abandoned building, made a quick right around the corner, and they were off, to where, Stephanie had no idea!


	8. Bride & Doom (Part 1)

As the limousine made it's way onto the interstate, Stephanie, sitting next to the window, plagued with fear, turned her head slowly to see Taker leaning against the door, staring at her. Steph, staring for a moment as well, looked into Mark's eyes, and it wasn't the same eyes that she had known before.

Gazing away quickly and down at her clasped hands in her lap, Steph began blaming herself all over again for the predicament she had somehow gotten herself into. How could she have been so stupid as to think of this man as a friend? How did she allow herself to be captured, not only once, but twice?

_"This is all my fault,"_ Steph thought to her lonely mind. _"Had I fought back enough, I wouldn't be here!"_

Her thought process was immediately interrupted when Taker's right hand crept up her left thigh. Stephanie, looking down at his cold hand, opened her mouth to let out something, but was quickly subdued when out of nowhere, Taker, like a thief in the night, was all over her! His left hand quickly went to Steph's mouth, while his right hand stayed firmly in place in her dress! His next words were so chilling, Steph thought that she might pass out from the sheer terror that crept up the back of her spine.

"Steph, I've already told you once: you're mines", Taker whispered inside her ear, his warm breath causing Stephanie shiver with urgency. "Get used to this touch Stephanie." As he said that, his hand pushed further up her thighs, grouping at her panties, his hand suddenly stopping, tugging at the waistband.

"Because," Taker continued darkly. "This is the only touch you're going to be feeling from now on."

And with that, he let go of Stephanie, sitting back in his original position. Stephanie was so filled with terror, she didn't even bother crying this time. All she did was stare into space again, knowing all too well that her time was running short.

Then, as Stephanie looked out the window, she saw an advertisement for Monday Night Raw on the electronic billboard outside of an arena.

_"The Hartford Civic Center?"_, Steph thought consciously. _"Is this where he's taking me?" _

The limo then pulled around to the back of the arena where the loading dock was, hiding amongst the WWF production trucks. As the car shut off, Taker, taking out his cell phone, looked over to Stephanie and said her evilly, "And now, the fun begins," before letting out one of the most sinister laughs Stephanie had ever her in her entire life.

* * *

><p>Inside the arena, Vince, Jerry, and Pat sat around in Vince's locker room, a black phone resting conveniently next to them, obviously waiting on Taker's call. Vince, clearly worried beyond belief, had his suit jacket resting in his lap, Pat and Jerry both with their heads down, equally worried about Stephanie's well-being.<p>

"All this waiting …" Vince started, scratching his head, rubbing his temples. He just wanted for all of this to be over and done with, for him to take Stephanie back home where she rightfully belonged, to let the past be the past. However, Vince knew that if Mark had gone this far, there'd truly be no telling as to what he was capable of doing next.

"It's been a long night," said Jerry sitting up a bit in his chair.

"She's going to be alright," said Vince, just as the phone began to rang. Quickly, Vince, picked up the phone from its receiver, answering carefully. "Hello"

"Vince, you know who this is," Taker said through his end of the phone, brushing his hand over Stephanie's hair, Stephanie listening on anxiously.

Vince, determined to sound the most serious he had in his entire life, kept the conversation going. "I know who this is, now just tell me, how's Stephanie?"

Taker, looking over Stephanie's petite frame, then cupping one of her breasts, however, giving her the sternest of looks as to say "don't say a word", kept speaking. "She's fine Vince, as a matter of fact, she's _real_ fine. Now you know what I've got, and you know what I want."

"Listen, I've brought everything just like you said. You've got controlling interest, you've got it signed, sealed, now I want Stephanie back, and I want her back her now."

"Oh, you've planned ahead? I like that," Taker said calmly, returning his hand to Stephanie's hair and face. "Once I get those documents, Stephanie will be returned to you unharmed, but if you slip up just once, you'll never see your precious little girl again."

Vince, with a heightened sense of awareness, began to warn, "If you so much as harm a hair on her head so help me, you son of a bitch …"

Taker, cutting him off, warned himself, "Now Vince, is that any way to talk to your daughter's soul mate? You just get me those documents. Deliver them at 10pm sharp by the loading dock in the Grand Chalet Hotel parking garage … oh, and there's one more thing."

Vince, sensing trouble, asked quickly, "What?"

Taker, who at this instance stopped stroking Stephanie's hair and face, as he was deadly serious, as Stephanie looked on hopelessly, mentioned the most important piece of the missing puzzle. "I don't want you to deliver them. Vince, I want Steve Austin to bring to me …"

Vince, rattled, could only ask, "What?", before being cut off by Taker's resonating voice once again. "ALONE!"

The look on Vince's face told the tale. He couldn't believe what he was hearing! "I cant … I can't Austin … I can't ask Austin to do that!"

Taker, uncaring, told Vince, "Hey that's your problem."

Vince, trying to reason with Mark, started, "No, wait a minute, hello?…"

However, Taker was unwavering, "Vince, your problem, not mine."

And as Vince heard the click, indicating that the call had ended, he screamed into the receiver, "Hello, hello?", but he didn't get any answer. Frustrated to the highest degree, Vince yelled out, "Son of a bitch!", slamming the phone down hard!

Now what was he going to do?

* * *

><p>In the arena, the crowd was red hot in Hartford, and as the glass shattered, the fans got on their feet for the Texas Rattlesnake, Stone Cold Steve Austin! Austin, Smoking Skull belt in hand, received a standing ovation as he hailed the crowd from all 4 posts.<p>

Announcer Michael Cole, who had the task of interviewing the Rattlesnake, asked about the brutal match Austin had with the Rock just 24 hours prior at Backlash, however, Austin wasn't in the mood for do a play by play, snatching the microphone from Cole's hands, ordering him out of the ring!

Responding to the Rock coming out earlier and saying that he beat Austin all over the Providence Civic Center, Austin reminded Rocky to just rewind the tape in order to determine who beat whom. And before Austin could continue, Vince himself came down to the ring, Jim Cornette and JR on commentary, flabbergasted that Vince was going to ask Austin for his help, while also reminding everyone of the pure hatred that Vince and Austin had for one another!

Vince, doing his best to persuade Austin to help him for Stephanie's sake, namely delivering the documents to the Undertaker, obviously didn't do a good enough job, because Austin, recalling how Vince had made Austin's life miserable for the past 15 months, told Vince plain and simple to kiss his behind!

With Austin's music playing, Vince had his answer, and his answer was simple: no!

* * *

><p>Back in the limousine, Taker, still stroking Stephanie's hair, received a call on his cell phone. Looking down at it, Taker, looked over to Stephanie, and gave her the instructions to pick it up from his lap, answer it, and give it to him.<p>

Stephanie, doing so, had her hand touched by Taker's, with her closing her eyes and looking down. She was just afraid of this man, pure and simple.

Taker, not even saying hello, was told something on the other end, which unsurprisingly, didn't change his cold demeanor. He remained cool and collected as ever, stroking alongside Stephanie's left breast.

Hanging up the phone, Taker stroked for another 10 seconds or so before finally speaking.

"I guess we're going to have a ceremony after all."

And with that, Taker began to chuckle loudly while Stephanie's big brown eyes danced in horror.

* * *

><p>Back in his locker room, Vince exhausted from frustration, picked up his briefcase, while Jerry and Pat stood around him.<p>

"Vince," said Jerry, "What are you going to do?"

Vince, with no other alternative, told his two best friends, "What else can I do? I'll go deliver it myself."

Jerry, always one to have Vince's back asked, "Don't you think we should come with you?"

Not wanting to get his friends in danger, along with still having his daughter literally held for ransom, gave a stern "No", while shaking his head.

Pat, regarding Vince, told him to "be careful".

Vince, still in shock that Austin had turned him down, said, "He asked for Austin and Austin's not coming."

Pat, telling Vince to be careful once again, watched on as Vince left the dressing room, setting out to meet Taker.


	9. Bride & Doom (Part 2)

Vince was there at the Grand Chalet Hotel, in the parking garage, just as Mark told him to be, but by God, where was he? It was at least 15 minutes past 10, and Vince was still waiting!

Pacing back and forth, a million different things ran through Vince's mind. What if Mark didn't show up? And if he did, and he got Stephanie back ... _if_ he got Stephanie back ... what would happen to the business? How would Mark, the demonic creature that he was, run his juggernaut as the new principle owner? And most importantly, what kind of mental toll had all of this turmoil taken on Stephanie? What would she be like when he got her back? Would she blame him for being abducted?

Vince paced backwards and forwards, over and over again, desperately praying that Mark and the Ministry or whomever would show up, but it was almost a quarter past 10 and still no sign of anyone!

* * *

><p>"WAIIIITTTT!"<p>

That's all that could be heard from the deep recesses of the arena, as Stephanie McMahon, flanked on all sides by the Ministry, Farooq and Bradshaw on each arm, tugging her about, was desperately trying to put up a fight, but these men were so strong! Mark had promised some sort of ceremony, and with all intensive purposes, they looked as if they were going to have one — at her expense!

Stephanie, begging for mercy, knowing her life truly did depend on it, looked up at Mark, cloaked in his robe, standing next to Paul Bearer, and surprisingly Ryan Shamrock, arms folded up, looking completely unfazed by all her screaming.

Ryan, who seemed to be in a hypnotic stupor, merely smiled on with wickedness pouring out of her soul, as she looked to Stephanie, then looking up to her master, in extreme suspense as to what was about to happen next.

Stephanie, who couldn't get away from either Farooq or Bradshaw, simply kept pleading for Mark to let her go, who in turn, reached out with a lone hand to stroke her face once more. A diabolical laugh escaped the savage Viscera, and as Stephanie kept pulling at her human restraints, the men began courting her off, literally dragging her out to the front of the arena!

Paul, smiling from ear to ear devilishly, walked side by side with Taker, asking his higher power to "bless her heart", as Mideon, Ryan, and Viscera walked behind, Viscera exclaiming, "She's all ours", as they headed into the arena!

Stephanie looked around wildly for anyone to save her, anyone to come to her rescue, but she saw no one other than the members of the Ministry. As they made their way closer and closer to the arena, Steph felt her whole body mentally and physically unraveling. Here she was about to be forced into marriage, and there was no one in this entire building who gave a damn to help her! Had her father really burned that many bridges?

Suddenly, Farooq and Bradshaw stopped dragging her, and as soon as she began to relax her arms, which were heavy with ache, the men grabbed her arms again, while Mideon and Viscera grabbed a leg a piece, cascading her body onto the same symbol that Steph and Linda found burning in their front yard a few weeks back, the same symbol that had been smeared onto her bedroom mirror with her favorite shade of lipstick, the very same symbol that had been etched onto her forehead the first time the Ministry abducted her!

Steph could hear the capacity crowd in the arena, so she knew that they must have been close to where she could finally get some help! She began screaming at the top of her lungs, the loudest she had ever screamed in her entire life! Stephanie began screaming so loud her voice started to give way, but she kept at it, because she knew that her new fate as the wife of the Undertaker … not Mark … was about to get underway very soon if somebody didn't come to her rescue!

Then, the lights to the arena went completely dark, and the Undertaker's chanting in tongues played over his lowly music, meaning that business had definitely picked up.

As JR and Cornette on commentary recapped the events that happened immediately after Stephanie's abduction, the Acolytes on one end, and Mideon and Viscera at the other, began dragging Stephanie's prone body out to the ring while being physically restrained onto Taker's symbol!

The crowd, in complete astonishment as to what was about to transpire, had a dead air to them, as Stephanie roared with heartbreak in voice, still begging for mercy, as she and the symbol were slid into the ring under the bottom rope.

JR, remarking how he had always been an Undertaker fan, but was was no longer such, lambasted Taker for truly being the "Personification of Evil."

JR also reminded that although Vince may or may not have done some things to Taker in past, Stephanie had absolutely nothing to do with any of those events that may have transpired in the past. Even Cornette, as he spoke about the "sins of the father", couldn't come up with a viable excuse as to why Stephanie deserved the treatment she was receiving.

JR then spoke directly to the superstars back in the locker room, asking for anyone with courage to step forward, as Taker, Paul Bearer, who had been carrying some of sinister looking book, and Ryan, entered the ring, Taker beginning the festivities.

"Before the ceremony begins, I must address the McMahon family. I am not to blame for what is about to happen here. Vince, this rests upon your shoulders, because you did not live up to your end of the agreement. And Steve Austin, I guess he just showed his true colors, as well."

Taker, then turning to his mentor, said, "Paul, let the ceremony begin."

Cornette reminded everyone how Vince _did_ try to live up to his end of the agreement, but Taker wasn't at the loading dock as promised!

That's when Stephanie began screaming again. She just couldn't let this happen to her! Ryan, on the right side of her, looked on fiercely with an evil gaze in her eyes that spoke of only what she must have gone through after Taker had kidnapped her, as well. JR noted this, feeling poor Ryan had been completely brainwashed while in Taker's care, and didn't know if there was anyone other than Kenny that could bring her back into reality.

The jacked crowd in Hartford began chanting for Austin, but since he was nowhere to be found, Paul, opening his book, began to read his sermon.

"Dearly unbeloved," he started. "We gather here this cevening', to join Stephanie Marie McMahon, and the unholy wedlock with the Lord of Darkness. Tonight, Stephanie Marie McMahon will step from the light on this evil cesspool mortal world into the sanctuary of eternal darkness. Keeping this in mind, will you Stephanie Marie McMahon accept the purity of evil, and take the Lord of Darkness as your master and your spouse?

As Stephanie buckled against the symbol, yelling "NO!" as loud as she could, JR even saying "Hell no she's not!" over his headset, out of the darkness, Kenny Shamrock, whom Taker and Bradshaw had brutally assaulted on 24-hours earlier at Backlash, rushed the ring, ball bat in hand, but as soon as he ran in, he was immediately taken down by both members of the Acolytes, who subdued his legs and arms, before Viscera could deliver a Big Splash to him, rendering him completely helpless, before being kicked out of the ring like a piece of trash!

Ryan, leaving her master's side, ran over to the ring rope to look down at her fallen brother. Then reaching down to pick up his baseball bat, holding it besides her, Ryan returned to her master's side.

Cornette couldn't believe that Ryan only stood there as her brother was being assaulted, taking in her new goth like appearance. "JR, like you, I was a fan of the Undertaker. I've always supported him, but what he's doing, literally ripping two families apart, first the Shamrock's, now the McMahon's, it's just not right!"

Backstage, Stephanie's brother Shane, and the members of his Corporation, Triple H, Big Boss Man, Rodney, and Pete Gas, were all raucous, wanting for a chance to get out to the ring and save Stephanie, but Shane, who didn't want to waste man power before the proper time, ordered them all to stay back in the locker room, warning if things got too out of hand, then they'd strike then, but not a second before.

Back in the arena, Paul, getting on with the ceremony, with Stephanie still protesting louder than ever, asked Taker, "Lord of Darkness, do you accept, do you accept Stephanie Marie McMahon, her body, her mind, her soul, and even her breath until yourself, and allow her to bare your offspring?"

Stephanie, screaming "NO!" as Taker said in the most menacing of voices, "I do,", looked on helplessly.

Just then, the crowd began to raise to their feet, as the 500 pound, 7 foot plus pound giant, the Big Show, ran down to the ring, in an attempt to save Stephanie!

Farooq, the very first person to meet him, got the big boot to the face! The Show then slid into the ring and Viscera began pounding away on Show's huge back with tree-like forearms, but the Big Show fought back, knocking Viscera over the top rope with a big left foot to the face. That's when Bradshaw decided to get him some of the big man, but he too was quickly thrown over the top rope!

Secretly, Ryan, standing behind Taker for protection, handed her master the bat, Taker snatching it away quickly, and as soon as Big Show turned around, Taker hit the Big Show right across the head with it so hard, he immediately fell over the top rope, knocking him unconscious onto the mat below!

While Ryan laughed savagely from the corner, Taker reapplied his hood that had fallen off, looking to finish the ceremony once and for all.

Stephanie, petrified, screamed more and more now. Paul, rushing the ceremony from fear of more interruptions, was almost to the end of the sermon. "With the power vested in me, by the Lord of Darkness, I now pronounce you as the unholy union of darkness! You may now kiss your bride!"

As soon as Taker pulled his hood back, rolling his eyes into the back of his head in the process, to kiss his new wife, Austin's glass breaking music hit, the crowd in the arena going into a frenzy, as Austin ran down the ramp, running over Mideon with a clothesline!

Running into the ring, Austin and Taker got into a huge fist fight, with neither man truly getting the upper hand of each other. That's when Mideon, who had gotten back up, snuck up behind Austin, but Austin, fueled by doing what's right, whipped Mideon from rope to rope, giving him a ferocious stunner!

Then for reasons unbeknownst to most, Ryan, who had run out of the ring upon Steve's arrival, got back in the ring, nearly face to face with Austin, with just about a foot of space separating them, began taunting Austin! Ryan, who clearly had a death wish, told Austin, "You're not half the man he is," referring to Taker, and even egged him on, wanting him to hit her! Austin, looking around, noting the severity of her transformation, began stepping towards Ryan, who backed up into the left turnbuckle, but before Steph could warn Austin, Taker crept up behind him, with the same ball bat that he'd just hit the Big Show over the head with, and whacked Austin right as he turned around, in a very similar fashion from the shovel shot Austin took to the head from Taker only a year ago!

The crowd, upon seeing their hero laid out at the hands of the Undertaker, immediately went dead, as JR swore so loud on announcement you could hear his headset falling off!

Austin, completely knocked out, was then dragged to the ropes and tied up by the recuperating Viscera, Bradshaw, and Farooq. Backstage, the Corporation and Shane attempted to make a beeline for the ring, but they couldn't get out the door! They banged on it, and banged out, even resorted to kicking it and beating at it with Bossman's nightstick, but it was no use! They were locked in from the outside-in!

The camera outside the locker room, then panned on one of Taker's druids, who was sitting inside the forklift. Taking the keys out, as the druid hopped down, he lifted the hood from over his head to reveal no one other than Gangrel from the Brood!

JR and Cornette, along with the rest of the audience in attendance, were shocked and immediately rocked with questions! Hadn't the Brood just gotten dismantled by the Acolytes, Mideon, and Viscera the night prior at Backlash, after being the first defectors from the Ministry? Why was Gangrel locking the Corporation inside their locker room? Had the two factions reconciled?

Taker, looking up at the Titantron, realizing now that no one else would be interrupting his plans, including Steve Austin, who was groggy, but swearing while tied up in the ring ropes, ordered Paul to give the final orders for the ceremony.

"By the powers vested in me," Paul yelled. "I now pronounce you as the unholy union of darkness! You may now kiss your bride!"

Taker, bending his hooded head down over Stephanie's, was inches away from kissing her lips, when Vince McMahon, who had finally made his way back to Raw, stood on top of the stage!

Taker, smiling relentlessly, rolled his deadly eyes into the back of his head, and bent down, kissing Stephanie on top of lips for the entire world to see, making their unholy matrimony official!

As Steph looked up at Taker, with 100 percent terror, and Vince looked on with horror from the top of the Raw stage, Taker and Paul Bearer laughed uncontrollably.

The Undertaker had just become Vince's unlawfully wed son in law!


	10. Principle Owner

As Vince stood on top of the stage, boiling with the most bottled up anger he had ever felt in his entire life, starring at this crazed and disturbed man whom he thought he once knew, Taker, setting his sights on Austin, who was still tried to the ropes, still threatening to open a can a whoop ass on Taker as soon he was set free, with Paul Bearer looking on gleefully, Stephanie still strapped to the symbol, dizzy from shock, walked up to the Rattlesnake very, very slowly.

Austin, who was still dizzy himself from being hit in the face with that ball bat, tried to kick his way at the Phenom, but it was simply like Taker _liked_ toying with Austin!

Austin, seemingly going crazy from within the confines ropes, was suddenly jumped all over on from Taker! Taker gave Austin both lefts and rights and pummeled Austin literally into oblivion! The crowd was chanting, "Austin, Austin, Austin!", but Taker had clearly gotten the better of the Texan. Taker, turning his back from Austin, whose head was now dangling, gave the Acolytes instructions to unstrap Stephanie from the symbol, and as they did such, Taker delivered a huge right boot to the face of Austin, knocking him out of his restraints and out of the ring, landing with a hard thump!

Vince began walking down the aisle, his face looking as pale a ghost, looking down at the fallen Austin. Seeing the Acolytes taking his baby girl from Taker's symbol, suddenly made Vince furious with rage, as he began a full speed sprint to the ring, but Taker, grabbing Steph by the hair, pulling her close to him, caused Vince to stop once he got near the ropes.

Taker, wagging a finger at McMahon, as to tell him to step closer, pulled Steph towards him by the waist with his left hand, still clasping her locks with the right hand, motioned for the microphone in Paul's hand, speaking into it, warning Vince.

"Don't be a fool, Vince. Turn around and go back up the aisle, head home, and maybe, _maybe_ you'll get to visit on the weekends," Taker taunted, ending with his trademark maniacal laughter!

Vince, humiliated, hurt that he had let his only daughter become the wife of this lunatic, couldn't help himself any longer! He rushed into the ring, desperately trying to get a piece of Taker, but the only thing that he got in return were feet to the back, as Viscera and the Acolytes stomped away at him, while Paul Bearer, Taker, and Stephanie, who looked to be in absolute shock, not even protesting, got out of the ring in a hurry, making their way backstage and out of the building, where the awaiting Christian, dressed in a druid's robe, but now uncovered, opened the car door for the newly formed couple and the chubby inspirational leader, who was following suit after them.

Taker, giving Christian a heavy, "Go!", ran to the driver seat of the limo, put the car into gear, stepped on the gas, and sped out of the parking lot, with several superstars, Droz, Steve Blackman, Goldust, among others, giving chase to the car, but it was too late!

Taker had his bride and there was a damn thing anyone could do about it!

—

Vince, being assisted to the back by a few of superstars, along with his best friends, Pat and Jerry, had the worst headache that he had ever experienced in his life.

The superstars, who were clearly just as disgusted as everyone else about what had just transpired, were all patting Vince on the back, trying to convince him that things would be ok, while others, like the Godfather, who was clearly upset, verbally let their feelings be known.

"That's just too much, man. Naw man, that's too much. Hey, I liked Mark as much as the next cat man, but what just happened wasn't right."

A far too chirpy fan then yelled out, as the arena was clearing of fans, "Then where were you then?", with Godfather, in his bright orange vest and lime green pants, turned around to the address the loudmouth, but security quickly removed the fan from the section.

Vince, being helped to the back now, going down the stairs from the stage, and into the backstage area, kept saying, "Jerry, Pat, this is all just a nightmare, right? This isn't happening, right?" Pat and Jerry, behind Vince's back, just simply looked on helplessly, shaking their heads at each other.

Vince clearly wasn't in the right state of mind, and they didn't want to discuss these matters now. Vince, like everyone else, needed rest from this situation, even if it only was for a moment.

Upon entering Vince's locker room, along with referee, Mike Chioda, all four men were stunned when they found Edge, in his marquee black latex trench coat, sitting in the same seat Vince had been sitting in, with Vince's briefcase, with the lock clearly broken off it, sitting in Edge's lap open.

Vince, letting go of Jerry and Pat, walked over where the sinister smiling edge, who was staring back at Vince behind orange and black sunglasses. Vince then snatched the documents from the briefcase, causing it to fall from Edge's lap, only to gulp in astonishment.

Vince then flipped through several pages, having the same reaction for all of them. And then, something came over Vince. Throwing down the papers, Vince physically attacked Edge!

Kicking him in the face with a knee, throwing him against the wall, and beating him with his fists, Vince wanted to destroy Edge, who represented everything that was so evil about the Ministry.

Eventually, it took all three men, Briscoe, Patterson, and Chioda to stop Vince from annihilating Edge, who lay on the floor, blood running out of his mouth, however, still laughing! Vince, seeing how destructive this one group had become, landed a square kick right to the end of Edge's jaw, rendering him unconscious!

That's when Vince snatched away from the people who were holding him, threw his coat against the wall, throwing open the door to the locker room, walking out!

Back in the locker room, as Edge lie motionless on the ground, Patterson went over to the papers that Vince had discarded on the ground. Quickly flipping through them, Pat sighed out, "Oh my G…".

Showing them to Briscoe and Chioda, the men were equally astonished at what they saw: Taker's name was signed on the ownership papers!

The WWF had a new principle owner!


	11. On the Dotted Line

Taker, Paul Bearer, and a frozen solid Stephanie McMahon, all sat tight lip in the back of the limousine, albeit, Paul was wearing his trademark sinister smile. While Paul was reciting a little inspiration to Taker smoothly, reminding him how he was not only the Lord of Darkness, but also the new principal owner of the WWF, Taker couldn't help but to stare at his new bride and think about all the things that would play into his favor now that Vince's baby girl was _his_ baby girl.

First thing he'd start eliminating now that he was in charge: Austin!

Every since last year in 98, Austin had been a proverbial thorn in his side, costing him the WWF Championship on multiple occasions. He had a pure hatred for Austin that ran deep inside his cold veins, and if Austin thought that he had troubles before with McMahon as the leader of the WWF, then Taker would personally welcome him to his brand new hell.

Christian stopped the limousine outside of the Hilton Hotel in Downtown Hartford. Since Taker and Stephanie were now a married couple, with Paul being a certified ordained minister, things were almost official. Taker, looking to Paul, ordered him to go inside the hotel and make sure he and Steph's room was ready. Christian opened the door for him, and after Paul exited the limousine, Taker rubbing on Stephanie's hair and the side of her face, finally spoke to her.

"You're mines, Stephanie," and then, pointing his long index finger right in her face, "And don't you forget it."

Steph, looking up into his eyes with heartbreak gleaming in hers, saw something in Mark that she'd never seen before. Sure, he always looked like Satan himself, but there was a fire dancing in his eyes that quite frankly scared the daylights out of her, so she simply turned her head away.

"Do you understand? A yes or a no will suffice!" Taker said menacingly.

That proud McMahon heritage suddenly sprung itself up from the dead within Stephanie's body, because that was the only thing she could justify her turning her head to Mark and spitting directly in Taker's face! Even after she did it, with her saliva landing squarely on his right cheek, Stephanie couldn't believe what she had done, until she saw Mark look up at her a sadistic looking smile, one that quickly turned into pure rage!

Steph, seeing Mark literally about to charge at her, attempted to run, but he was lightning quick, grabbing her by her hair and pulling Steph back to him!

Steph, just knowing Mark was going strike her, felt him twist her long brown hair into a ball inside his fist, pulling her back into his chest. He had a death grip on her hair so tight it felt like he was going to yank her bald by the scalp!

Taker, reaching then for her throat, wrapping all five fingers around it, talked in a deep slow drawl inside her ear.

"I warned you about trying another stunt like that again, didn't I?" Taker asked menacingly. yanking on Stephanie's hair as he said it, forcing her to cry out a "Yes!", as a stream of hot tears flooded down her face. Taker, massaging his fingers around her throat, continued in his most serious tone.

"Now, that's strike two. There won't be a strike three, will it Stephanie?" Steph could just hear the pure evil rising out of her voice, and as badly as she wanted to say no, she just couldn't. Taker was literally choking the life out of her! She attempted to shake her head no, but his grip into her hair ran so deep, that seemed impossible, as well.

"Say it!", Taker ordered, tightening his grip in Stephanie's hair while massaging his fingers around her neck, just in order to give her enough air to breathe and for her to manage a "No" out of her now deeply dry throat.

As soon as she uttered the word, Taker released his hand from her neck, but still maintained a very firm grip on her hair. He wasn't even saying anything, but he was asserting his dominance over her.

Paul, who was about to get back into the limo, saw the scene that was transpiring in the car, and suddenly backed away, with Taker whipping out the car faster than Paul expected, causing Christian, who was acting as chauffeur, to back away quickly, as well. Enraged, Taker snatched the hotel key card away from Paul, looked at the room number, and ordered Stephanie, "Out!"

Stephanie, jumping, quickly got out of the limo, just as Taker was staring down Christian. Grabbing her hand, Taker damn near dragged Steph into the hotel's lobby. The clerk, about to welcome the hotel's newest guests into the vicinity, was given a dirty look by Taker, wordlessly telling him to not to speak, so he simply stared as Taker, Paul Bearer, and Stephanie got onto the elevator, with Taker still wearing his robe, Steph still in her black wedding dress, and a frightened Christian, still in his oversized shirt and wrestling gear, stood back, watching the elevator doors close.

The clerk, shrugging, thought to himself, _"Must be some type of freak convention going on."_

As they arrived to their floor, Taker handed the key card back to Paul, who went over to the hotel room's door and slid the card down the card reader.

Taker, still holding Steph by the wrist, then almost threw her into the room, which was actually a suite in size, with a very nice living room separating the bedroom. The suite, to Steph's utter astonishment, was very nicely decorated, with a creme colored carpet, a combination of creme leather chairs, creme lamps that sat on dark oak wood end tables, a brown sofa located to the right of the room, which was seated directly in front of an oak wood cabinet that housed the television, with a black table separating the two chairs.

Even the curtains, which were opened to show off the beautiful view of Downtown Hartford, had the same mixture of black and brown in them taking on the look of the room. Had Steph not been in the predicament she was in, she would have easily admitted that this was one of the better suites she had ever stayed in.

As Stephanie was checking out the room, she didn't notice that Farooq was sneaking up on her from behind. Startled, Steph leapt into the air, before looking at Taker, who was standing in a corner, arms folded up, still looking plenty pissed off.

When she turned back around, Paul had opened the door for the rest of the Ministry, including Ryan Shamrock, but without Edge, to enter. Paul, reaching inside his coat pocket, then pulled out a piece of folded up paper. Ryan then stood behind Stephanie, and Taker, looking Bradshaw in the face, looked at her, causing her to look down at the floor. Bradshaw then stood behind Taker, as well.

_"What are they doing?"_, Steph thought silently.

Paul, then unfolded the sheet of paper, which had printed on top, "State of Connecticut", then printed right underneath that read, "Marriage License"!

Steph could not believe that Mark was really attempting to make things between them official, as in husband and wife! And since they had witnesses, an ordained minister, and worse, Stephanie actually being _born_ in Connecticut, she truly was to be Mrs. Calaway!

Feeling faint, Steph swayed a bit, before Ryan caught her around the waist, who was smiling from ear to ear. Steph could not believe this nightmare was actually happening to her! Where was her dad? Where was Shane? Why was no one coming to her rescue?

Paul, taking out an ink pen, then handed it to Bradshaw, who signed it, who in turned pass it to Ryan, who signed her name, as well. Once Ryan finished, she handed the pen to Taker, who looked over it for a bit, before signing his name on the line, "Mark W. Calaway".

Now, it was Stephanie's turn.

She thought about honestly trying to make a run for it, but even if she made it out the door, the Ministry would more than likely catch her before she made it to the emergency stairs. She thought about running into the bedroom and locking it, but Viscera was standing directly in front of it, and there was no way she'd get passed him. She couldn't even make it to the phone in time to dial 911, and the constant throbbing in her head, neck, and wrist reminded her fully what kind of a mood Mark was truly in.

No, the only option there was for Stephanie to make was to sign. But if she signed, then she'd be Mark's wife. But on the other hand, knowing Vince and his high powered attorneys, they could probably get it annulled. After all, she was being forced into a marriage against her will.

Stephanie, looking around the room, with everyone, including Mark, who was scowling uncontrollably, was waiting on her to sign. Stephanie, picking up the ink pen, looking around once more, as for any of the Ministry to suddenly grow some moral fiber and maybe speak up, sighed, and signed her name directly next to Mark's, "Stephanie M. McMahon"!

Paul, rubbing his chubby fingers together, looking directly into Stephanie's eyes, then asked, "And that is official, isn't it, Mrs. Calaway?", laughing in Stephanie's face, while fury burned deep in Stephanie's eyes.


	12. Mind Control

As all of the Ministry looked on heinously as the official union between Taker and Steph was now complete, Paul, continuing his officiating duties, raised a toast for everyone to celebrate the momentous occasion, for not only Taker, but for the entire Ministry, as a whole.

With them literally running the show now, there'd be no one that could stand in their way of truly dominating the World Wrestling Federation.

Taker, obviously not in the best of spirits, looked around the room, and ordered everyone out, with, of course the exception, of Stephanie. Everyone taking their celebrations and libations out of the room, left Taker and Stephanie alone.

_"Oh, God, what is he going to do to me now?"_, Stephanie thought solemnly.

As Taker threw back his robe, laying it on the couch, then drawing the curtains to a close, he turned around to stare Stephanie square in the face. Stephanie, having been up under Mark for several years now, and even in his personal company for the last twenty four hours, never truly did realize how big he was.

Sure six feet ten inches tall and a whopping 328 pounds was no lightweight contender, but, she hadn't really noticed his sheer size before, not until he was walking up on her.

_He was walking up on her!_

Steph, backpedaling, didn't even watch where she was going. She stumbled over chairs, falling to the floor with a hard thud. As Taker continued to stalk her, Stephanie managed to quickly get back up to her feet, backpedaling to the bedroom. She could still tell Mark was mad beyond words about her spitting in face.

_"Why, why, why, why Stephanie, why did you that?"_ Steph asked herself, mentally beating herself up in the process.

Taker, never taking his eyes off Stephanie, closed the door with his hand, and once again, pounced on her! Steph, fighting with everything that she had in her body, just like her daddy taught her, however, was quickly pinned down by the much larger Taker, her wrists into his hands, his legs over her legs. Stephanie, finally tired of crying, simply stared back at Mark with hatred in her eyes! Not only had this insane man kidnapped her twice, and had also forced her into marriage, but was now seemingly going to force relations upon her too?

But instead of going for sex, Taker, still holding Stephanie down, started giving out marching orders.

"Now, for a little business. You do what I say, when I say, and how I say it, understand?"

Stephanie, with that McMahon stubbornness rising up out of her again, didn't say anything. All she did was stare up at Taker, as his huge body continued to cover hers. Not getting the answer he desired, Taker resorted to shaking Stephanie on the bed, reasserting himself, and at the end, asked, "Do I make myself clear?"

Steph, with vitriol rising out of her voice, snapped back at Taker, "Yes!", before he yanked his body off of hers, rolling off the bed, and going back into the living room, picking up his bag that Christian brought up, and heading into the bathroom, but not before he shot Steph a dirty look, the equivalent of saying, "Do not leave this room."

As Steph heard the shower water starting to run, the first thing her mind told her to do was to grab the phone and dial 911 or Vince. Although they arrived in a limousine, and the windows were tinted, Steph could tell exactly where they were, and even if she couldn't, 911 could pinpoint their exact location.

Steph, leaping to the phone, picked up the receiver frantically, and started pressing 9-1… Then, she thought about it.

If she had Mark arrested, and if he got out, what would he then do to her, or for that matter, Vince? Steph knew Mark was evil, incapable of both compassion and remorse, and she didn't want the repercussions to fall back onto her family.

They had gone through enough. And why did Mark leave her alone in the room, no Paul Bearer, no Ministry, no Ryan in sight? She could easily do what she was about to do now, which was call the police or simply run for her life, so why wasn't there anyone there to stop her?

Steph, confused, placing the phone down, with her wrists still throbbing, wiggled them around a bit, attempting to gain some of the circulation back in them, sat back on the bed, thinking some more.

That's when she noticed that the bathroom door was shut!

Steph, curious as ever to figure out Mark's game plan, silently opened the door. Looking around carefully, Steph saw Mark's boots and wrestling gear thrown carelessly on the floor. One thing Stephanie hated was a messy room, and even though she was tempted to pick up his things and put them away neatly, she suddenly realized that this was the man who had abducted her and forced her into marriage!

_"The hell with his clothes!", _Steph thought to herself, finally snapping out of it.

That's when she looked up, and out from the steam, saw Mark's naked body! Although Steph wasn't exactly a choir girl, she had rarely ever seen a man's naked body before, save for the one's she saw in movies.

Although twenty two, while Steph was still a virgin, she knew that if Mark had his way, she wouldn't be for much longer … but she just couldn't stop herself from looking! She could see his black wavy hair laying flat on his back while the water ran over it, his tattoos on both arms glistening from the water falling over them … and then she saw … _it_! Stephanie couldn't believe her eyes. Although the steam mostly impaired her vision of … _it_, _it_ was still there!

Almost gasping from shock, Stephanie hurriedly closed the bathroom door, but just quietly enough so Mark couldn't hear it.

Stephanie knew that she had to get out of there now! No way was she going to lie down with that!

Stephanie wasn't naive. She knew how sex worked and when she lost her virginity, she wanted it to be special, not something rushed nor forced, and she for damn sure didn't want what she had just witnessed crawling inside of her!

Creeping to the hotel room's door, Stephanie, looking back first to make sure Mark wasn't behind her, eased to the door, opening it with as much care as one would handle a newborn baby.

Slowly peering out to see if anyone was guarding the door, Steph peeked out all the way once she saw the coast was clear. On both sides of the hallway, there was no Ministry in sight, but then she thought about the consequences of her leaving again.

What if that hotel clerk she first saw when Mark was dragging her into the building, what if he turned out to be some male chauvinist and didn't believe what she was telling him, that she had been kidnapped and forced into marriage? What if he thought that she was just some runway bride? And what if help wasn't downstairs? What if the Ministry caught her instead, and knowing how they all loved to please Mark so to earn his respect, she'd surely be in trouble then.

And what if all of this somehow ended up hurting her family still? What if it wasn't Steph next, but maybe her mom, Linda? Steph physically shuddered at the thought of Linda being held captive by Mark.

Realizing that she had no other choice until she could make her getaway sometime later, Steph slowly eased the door closed again. One thing Vince had always taught her was to make her moves both strategically and carefully. If she was going to gain her freedom, she needed to do it with a lot of witnesses and her family near, and Steph knew the perfect time: the first TV taping of Smackdown tomorrow night!

Smackdown! was a new TV special that Vince was hoping would be picked up to rival WCW's Thunder that aired on TBS, and would run concurrently to Thunder on Thursday nights. All of the superstars were tapped to be there, since this pilot could mean huge business as far as revenue was concerned. And with a little luck, Stephanie could gain her freedom there.

As Stephanie slowly turned around to go back into the bedroom, there was Mark, the only thing covering his body was a terry-cloth towel around his waist! Stephanie couldn't believe her eyes.

Although she wasn't one for tattoos, Mark's body looked incredible, with the letters "BSK" tattooed across his upper abdomen, the tattoos on his arm were more precisely visible, Steph noting several skulls and castles etched into his skin, and his hair falling over the front and back of his shoulders made Steph feel … made her feel like … even Stephanie didn't know what she was feeling … or thinking.

She kept telling herself over and over again that this man was her captor, not eye candy, but she just couldn't help herself. But looking into Mark's eyes yet again, she knew she had to think of a lie and think of a lie quick.

Mark, with his arms folded up in his chest, simply stared down at Stephanie, who had been on her knees peeping out. Before he could even question what she was doing there, Stephanie stammered out, "It was … it was r-r-room s-s-s-service."

Mark, clearly skeptical of Stephanie's blatant lie, walked up on her again. Stephanie, already at the door, stood up to her feet, but physically couldn't go anywhere, seeing as Mark's massive frame easily swamped hers.

Still wet from the shower, Mark raised a hand towards her, and as Stephanie flinched, she heard the sound of the lock being latched behind her. Looking up, Mark was staring down at her, as if the sound of lock clicking was the definitive answer to her ever venturing in the outside world without him.

Steph, gulping, not knowing what Mark's next move was going to be, was deeply surprised when he simply stepped aside and opened his left arm, the gesture silently telling her to go back into the bedroom.

As Stephanie walked off, she could feel Mark's hot gaze all up and down her backside. Nervous, Stephanie, still in that very uncomfortable wedding gown, sat on the bed with her back to the headboard, legs spread out, but closed, in front of her. That's when Mark dropped his towel and she saw _it_ … all of _it_ … however, this time in clear vision! Stephanie shrieked with embarrassment, covering her face with her hands as fast as she could!

Mark was completely naked in front of her!

Peeping out for only what seemed to be a nanosecond in length, Stephanie's obscured view through her fingers did allow her to take in Mark's backside, before she closed her fingers again!

Mark, for once, laughing at something that didn't have to do with harming and intimidating people, snickered for a few seconds, before asking Stephanie, "So, you like what you see?"

By this time, Stephanie was surprised the color in her cheeks wasn't burning through her fingers and illuminating the room she was so embarrassed! She had never been this up close on a naked man before! Would she be like this every time she saw him naked? Then, she had to mentally slap herself again.

What was wrong with her, thinking she'd be seeing more of Mark naked every night? She wasn't even supposed to be seeing him naked on this night, and if her father had anything to do with this, tomorrow in New Haven, she wouldn't be seeing him nude any other nights, either.

Putting on a pair of black boxer briefs, knee-length trunks, and socks, Mark, walked over to the light before turning it off, and asked Stephanie with amusement bouncing in his voice. "You going to sleep like that all night?"

Stephamoe, who still had her hands over her face, put them down very slowly, turning her head in the direction of Mark's voice. As she put her hands down on either side of her, she looked down at her dress and those clunky boots she had on. While she bent over slightly on the bed to remove them, there was no way she was getting naked in front of this man, no matter what their marriage certificate said! After all, it wasn't like she had anything to get used to.

Turning back around and putting her legs flat out on the bed again, Mark, with his arm propped up against the wall, glared at Stephanie for a moment or two. Stephanie noticing Taker was staring at her, turned bright red with embarrassment once more, not sure what he was going to do next.

Turning off the light, the room went completely dark, the heavy drapery keeping most of the city lights out of their room. As Mark crawled into bed, Steph could feel her uncomfortableness rising. Mark was about to get in bed with her!

As Mark got comfortable, Steph felt him rub his hands, which were considerably warmer than before, across her face again. Her breath rising up and down with anticipation, Mark, hearing Steph's breathing catch as he touched certain spots on her face, started to reassure his woman.

"Stephanie," Mark started, Stephanie turning her eyes in his direction in the dark, however never moving. "I meant it when I said you're mines."

Stephanie, not understanding his disposition, first he was cruel to her, then he was he was claiming her, had to know, or at least get an inkling, into this man's mind.

"I just don't, I just don't, I mean, Mark…", she said cutting herself off. This was the first time she had ever said his true name in front of him, and after being scolded by Ryan, she didn't know if she made an error or not, but when Mark didn't say anything, she continued.

"I don't know what you want. I thought … I thought you liked me? When I used to see you around backstage … you were, you were, you were always nice to me. Now it's like," Stephanie trailed off, thinking she was going to offend him, and when Mark's finger reached the middle of her breasts, she didn't know whether to bolt and run or stay there and take it. She opted for the latter, wanting to get her point across and not really knowing how to say no.

"I just thought you liked me and you know … liked my dad. Why are you doing this to me?"

Mark, who never stopped fingering the middle of her chest bone through her dress, then instantaneously began cupping her right breast, Steph's wind catching in her throat, biting her bottom lip; she was terrified that she was going to scream. Pressing his lips by her ear again, Taker began speaking softly this time. "Did it ever occur to you that I'm not the bad guy here?"

Steph, utterly confused, turned her head slightly, as Mark continued to cup her breast, which was soft, warm, and inviting, but since he didn't want to overstep his bounds completely, at least not in a sexual manner, he kept his movements constricted to one breast at a time.

Steph then asked, "Wh-wh-wh-what do you mean?"

Taker, chuckling lowly, then switched breasts, caressing her left one firmly in his hand. "Think about it Stephanie? Did it ever occur to you that Vince wanted you gone? That maybe you kept getting abducted as a way for you to finally get out of his hair?"

Stephanie, suddenly wanting to rise up and strike Mark, found the courage to finally push his hand from her breast, but the only thing he did in return was take his arms and wrap them tightly around his waist, pulling Stephanie nose to nose in the process. Steph, pushing at his gigantic chest, quickly realized that she wasn't going anywhere, but that didn't stop her from giving Mark a piece of her mind.

"You have some nerve, you cretan! First, you stalk me, you violate my privacy, burn my favorite teddy bear, stalk me again, kidnap me, not once, but twice, but my father, whose been trying to keep me away from you since this nightmare began, _he's_ the bad guy!?"

Steph, feeling her temper beginning to boil, kept pushing at Mark's chest, but it was no use; Mark wasn't budging and since he wasn't, he simply let her tire herself out. Once she settled down, Taker cupped her face and conveniently told her, "Sure Steph, and if that was really true, why are you here? Why hasn't 'Daddy' come to save you? Why are you _my_ wife right now?"

And with that, Mark released Stephanie's face but went straight for the inside of her thighs, and although she tried to squeeze her legs together, and she had panties on, that didn't stop Taker from pushing her legs right apart and rubbing the inside of her inner most body parts!

Stephanie, never having a man physically touch her in the way that Mark was touching her, tried to squirm away from him, but in the back of her mind, she couldn't decide if she really wanted to.

Pressing a thumb over her clitoris, Mark flicked at her nub, causing Stephanie to shiver with ecstasy involuntarily. She had never felt anything like this before. No one had ever touched her like … then a lone finger, while Mark was still thumbing her clit, slowly slipped inside her, leisurely running in and out of her.

Stephanie, panting now, her breathing coming in patches, felt a second finger slowly glide into her, causing her to clasp her legs around Mark's arm. And even though she had his arm trapped between her thighs, that still didn't stop him from gingerly sexing her with his fingers.

Mark could feel her place of womanhood, and having sex with enough women over the years, had taught him a lifetime of patience. Tonight wouldn't be the night, but that didn't stop him from continuing to ease in and out of Stephanie, causing her to moan out loudly without warning, completely shocking herself, as she bit her lower lip in not only complete shock, but pleasure, as well.

Quite frankly, she didn't want him to stop, but she remembered just _who_ was doing this to her. As soon as Steph was going to raise her voice in protest, Taker pulled his fingers out of her, leaving her wanting her to be filled again.

Steph couldn't believe what she was thinking! This was _Mark Calaway_! She had known this man, for a lack of better terms, for nine years, and now he was her captor and new husband, and she wanted him? Steph, every bit of confused as her face would have shown had the lights been on, looked around in the dark, bewildered with confusion.

Mark, readjusting Steph to his body, told his new wife in her ear "Get some sleep," and with that, it was over.

Sleep? How was Stephanie supposed to do that now?


	13. The Plan

As Stephanie lie in the bed all night long, unable to sleep, with Mark's heavy arms draped around her, she simply stared up into the ceiling and wondered to herself just how stupid she could be to allow this creature to, not only have his arms wrapped around her, but moreover, touch her inner most body parts!

Stephanie, although married on paper, still didn't consider herself married for real, but what they did tonight is what married couples did! And she wasn't married! People got married and divorced all the time, and in this case, it wasn't even going to be a divorce because she was going to get the whole thing annulled.

Once her father's got a hold of Mark, he wouldn't have a dollar to his name for all the mental anguish he had caused her over the past few weeks, and their union would simply be null and void.

… But then, her mind travelled back to a few hours ago, how Mark caressed her womanhood, and how wonderful it felt. Being that Mark was eleven years her junior, he more than likely knew what buttons to press anyway, but why did her entire nerve endings go haywire? She was moaning and lusting in his arms like a cheap whore! Steph didn't know what had come over her.

Sure, she was still a virgin, and yes, no one had ever been as intimate with her as she and Mark had been. Sure, Steph had had a few boyfriends in the past, they had mostly gone steady, but with her overprotective father and brother watching over her every move like a hawk, she never got too serious with anyone before breaking it off from her boyfriends being fed up with Stephanie "not putting out". Greenwich boys were both rich and very needy.

Then her mind drifted off again … Shane.

For years, Shane had been Steph's primary protector, always there to look after her when Vince wasn't around, always taking his role as big brother very seriously, sometimes even too seriously. The Shane that had somehow morphed into the man that he had become now, that wasn't her brother. Shane always had her back, but now it seemed like she barely knew him now.

Had Steph done something to to her brother to make him just ignore her completely now? He surely didn't seem to care about her when Mark was stalking her. And why didn't he come down to ringside and help her when Mark was forcefully trying to marry her? Why did he allow that event to even take place?

… And now the same thing could be said about Vince. All the security Vince had, and Mark was still able to abduct her, not once, but twice? Maybe Mark was right. Maybe this was Vince's plan. Maybe it was Vince and Shane's plan together to get rid of her, but why?

Stephanie had a million and one questions running through her mind. Then, turning her head, as she witnessed Mark sleeping, she came to the realization about the true culprit in all this was him! This is exactly what he wanted her to do; turn against her family! And worse, she was falling for it! Steph had foolishly tricked herself into believing that Mark was somebody she could trust, so she definitely wasn't about to be so naive she'd do the same thing a second time around.

Steph wised up to Mark's game plan, not willing to let him win! She was going to one up him on everything, and Smackdown! would be the perfect place to show Mark she was not about to be his puppet!

As the night quickly overlapped till early dawn, Stephanie, exhausted from all the chaos that had been going on for the past few days, actually fell asleep. She hadn't had a good night's rest in weeks, and for some strange reason, despite all of what Mark had done to her, she fell right asleep in his arms, without any hesitation whatsoever! Of course, she was still lying on her back, but she went to sleep next to him!

And as she came to that realization, Steph shot right up in the bed as if she had a bad dream. On one hand, she wished she was having a bad dream, but on the other hand, she was still curious.

As Stephanie looked around the room, everything was just as they left them last night, only thing was, Mark wasn't in the bed with her anymore. Stephanie, getting out of bed gently, looked out the curtain, and upon seeing that it was broad daylight, looked at the alarm clock beside the bed, showing 9am sharp. And the bedroom door was shut. She didn't hear any water running, so Steph assumed Mark was in the living room. But this was odd to her.

Once again, Mark had left her all alone. Wasn't he afraid that she'd call the cops or try to escape? Why was he so trusting of her? Did Mark actually think he was training her? Like a dog or something?

Disgusted, Steph went to bedroom door to fling it open, but heard voices coming from the living room. Suddenly, Mark's voice began to spike, and a lighter male voice came into Stephanie's hearing. Obviously, it was Mark and Paul talking, but about what? As she pressed her ear against the door, Steph heard Mark telling Paul, "Tonight, it begins. Everything has to be in place. We can't afford any mixups," Taker said with all kinds of fury pouring from his voice. "I want Stephanie there so that when we go out to the ring, Vince knows we mean business."

"But how are we going to get Austin? And maybe … maybe, listen Mark, cool it, I understand, you're mad, and frustrated, and you want the belt off Austin," Paul said with angst in his voice, clearly trying to calm Taker down, before he was cut off.

"You damn right I do. Paul, it's my time. Mines!"

"I understand that, I understand that completely, but, we also … maybe we have to look out for D'Wayne now, who knows? Who knows. Look…," Paul kept saying to a very heated Taker.

Stephanie could hear Mark's feet pacing back and forth. He was obviously upset, as they gone out of their way to plan something big for tonight, and from the sounds of things, Stephanie was involved, as well! Confused and scared, Stephanie continued to listen on.

"Look, easy now, Mark, easy. Rock just lost the belt to Austin, right?"

Mark, looking down at Paul with his hands on his hips, nodded slowly. Paul, thinking he had caught on to something finally, continued, "Well, he lost the strap to Austin. Now, to keep him out of our hair, along with Shane, because apparently, Shane's Stephanie's brother, blood's always thicker than water, you know that, hey, maybe Shane will try to stick his nose into our business too …"

"Well that just won't happen Paul …" Mark said, rage coming out on his very being.

Mark wanted to be champion so badly again he could taste it. It had been almost two years since he held the strap, and it was all because of Austin thwarting his every shot at being on top of the WWF Mountain! Well now, he was finally going to be the man once more, and he'd be damned if Austin stood in his way again.

"I know it won't. I know it won't," Paul said reassuringly. "But listen to me, listen to me. Tonight, things are going our way. And by our way, you're the new principal owner, you can do whatever the hell it is that you wan't. How about we book Austin in a match tonight, to wear him down, and keep him preoccupied, while also doing the same thing to the Rock and Shane, huh? That way, Rock will be too busy to worry about the title, and Shane will be too busy to try to help his poor abducted sister. Think about, Mark, just think about it."

Mark, finally cooling down and realizing where Paul was going with all of this, kept pacing and asked, "And what about McMahon?"

"Don't worry about Vince, don't worry about Vince, because after tonight, Vince will be taken care of," Paul said with every intention in his voice of causing more pain and destruction.

So Stephanie was right! Mark was only using her to get to the WWF Title! He had kidnapped her and married her only so she could be a pawn in his quest for the WWF Championship! And what did they mean by Mark was the "new principal owner"? Her father was the principal owner of the WWF, always was, always would be.

And Shane! No matter what she and Shane had been going through over the past few months, Shane was not ready for the likes of the Rock! He's be dismantled! Steph had to do something! She just couldn't let the two most important men in her world become plots in Mark's twisted act for revenge.

Mark, who was about to further the plan for tonight, must have had his sixth sense kick in, because he looked at Paul, shushed him with his eyes, and hurriedly headed for the bedroom door! Stephanie, hearing his footsteps, tried to make as if she was just waking up and was about to open the door herself, and as the door opened, Mark stared a hole directly through Stephanie!

Wondering what was she doing up and if she had heard any of their plans, Mark was interrupted before he could even speak by Paul.

"Hi, Stephanie", the rotund manager asked slyly, wriggling his fingers at her. in an attempt to both clearly poke fun. Steph simply stared back at Paul, wondering how two people could be so devious! Mark, taking two fingers and turning Steph's head back to him with ease, asked with those piercing green eyes, "What are you doing up?"

Waiting for her answer, Mark folding his arms up, knowing that gesture alone with intimidate her, stared down at Stephanie, waiting for her to answer, while Stephanie looked up into Mark's own eyes, trying to read his thoughts, but kept didn't get anything. After a few seconds or so, Steph, clearing her throat, answered, "I just … I just woke up."

"Oh, really? Why don't you go back to bed for a minute."

Stephanie, now afraid that if she didn't speak to Mark soon, his evil plans would come to fruition, said in her sheepish voice, "Mark, I really need … I really need to talk to you about …"

Just as she was about to finish her sentence, there was a knock on the door. Mark, never taking his eyes off of Stephanie, ordered, "Paul, get that."

After Paul wobbled to the front door and veered through the peep hole, he opened it slowly. It was Ryan, who was once again dressed in a fresh set of clothing. This time, instead of having her hair in a ponytail, Ryan had her long black hair all the way down, wearing a very form fitting latex jumpsuit that zipped up the front, with a red lace bra sticking out of the top of it, exposing her cleavage, with fiery red and black lipstick on.

She had on the same black boots that she wore on yesterday, and also wore a choker, similar to the one Stephanie still had on, but her's had little spikes in it. Her finger nails were pointy and painted all black, and her nose ring glistened from the light in the room shining off of it. Stephanie still couldn't figure out what exactly had they done to her. And here she was, letting Mark touch her like he did last night, when she was bound for the same fate … or worse!

Ryan, after Paul allowed her to enter the room, came in carrying a tray, similar to the one she had yesterday. Silently marveling Mark as if he was the Holy Trinity, Mark, still staring down at Stephanie, rubbing that long wicked beard, told Stephanie, "You stay in here and get something to eat. Ryan," he called.

Ryan, almost tripping over her own feet to meet him, was told, "Make sure she takes a bath and has fresh clothing for tonight? Got it?"

Ryan, looking like she had been completely and utterly brainwashed, nodded with a smile and replied, "Yes, my lord." Taker, backing away from Stephanie but turned his head back towards her slightly, told her, "I'll see you later on tonight."

Tonight? What about the rest of the day?


	14. Legal Eagle

As Ryan entered the room, the strong aroma coming off the tray suggested she had food again.

Uncovering the tray, a smorgasbord of food was presented to Stephanie: waffles, eggs, scrambled lightly just how she liked them, toast, fresh ham, fruit, bagels, more food than Steph could possibly eat in three days, let alone a morning, was being offered to her.

Steph, famished after the night she had, smelled over all the wonderful delights, but she looked up at Ryan, warily. She still didn't trust Mark … or Ryan now for that matter … but everything smelled so good. Plus, he didn't poison her last time, so Stephanie sat down on the edge of the bed in anticipation for her meal.

Ryan left the bedroom quickly, returning this time with a rolling table, which also had a pitcher of fresh orange sitting on top of it, along with a pitcher for water.

Sitting the tray down upon the table, which had a delicate white table cloth covering it, Stephanie dug in, while Ryan sat down next to her in the chair near the desk in the room. Steph, looking up, immediately apologized to Ryan for not offering her any of her food, but Ryan merely waved her off.

_"She's must have already eaten,"_ Steph thought to herself.

After Steph had eaten her fill, probably too much, as her stomach felt as if it was going to burst, she quietly sat there and looked at Ryan off to the side. She didn't speak and she didn't look to be in the mood for a conversation, either, so Stephanie sat there silently for a few moments, not having the right words to form a sentence anyway.

Feeling that Stephanie was finished with her breakfast, Ryan stood up and moved the cart and its remnants to the other side of the room. That's when Mark suddenly burst into the room, startling both ladies.

Obviously not in a best of moods, Mark went over where his bag lay on the floor, and headed into the restroom, both women standing there stupefied, but nonetheless saying nothing.

As Mark showered, Stephanie exchanged glances with Ryan, her mind all over the place.

What was going to happen to her dad and Shane tonight? What role was she going to play in all this madness that was to surely go down at Smackdown! tonight? And what could she do to stop it?

Well, for one, she had to talk to Mark. She had to find maybe an ounce of compassion in him to persuade him to stop what he was about to do. And then, she had to find a way to gain her freedom. It was the only way she could begin living a normal life again.

Ten minutes or so must have passed when amARK came out of the bathroom, steam from the shower following him. Dressed in normal street clothes this time, mark had his long black hair tied up in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, he had on a sleeveless black vest that wasn't buttoned up, revealing all of his stomach tattoo now, "BSK Pride", black jeans, black boots, and a pair of black shades in his hand.

As he looked around to the girls, when Mark stepped over to Ryan, she almost jumped in the air with glee, squinting her eyes up at Stephanie, as if she was mocking her because Mark chose Ryan and not her.

Steph, rolling her eyes, looked on as Mark whispered something in Ryan's ear, who nodded quickly, then shot Stephanie a dirty look, after of which, Mark, walking off, looked back at Stephanie, put his shades over his face, and closed the door.

Ryan, taking her hand and sweeping it over the table she was sitting at, spoke up. "Master told me that until he and the rest of the Ministry return, you're to stay here with me. He wants you to be bathed thoroughly before tonight's show. Our master has big plans."

The thought of Stephanie actually calling Mark, "Master", absolutely revolted her, but that was neither here nor there at the moment. All she wanted to know what was plans did Mark have and where was he going.

"Ryan, please, I need to know, what plans is Ma…", Steph immediately cut her sentence off when she saw Ryan nearly go into spasms at the mere mention of Taker's real name. Policing her comments, Stephanie continued, "Ryan, please, what plans is…", gulping, Stephanie swallowed her pride and said, "What plans is _Master_ talking about? Does it have anything to do with my dad or Shane? Please, Ryan, I need to know."

Ryan, looking at Stephanie as if she slapped her, replied to her coldly. "You still don't get it, do you? Forget about your old life! Your new life is with our master, the Lord of Darkness! You are to please him and him only! Your complete lack of loyalty is very disrespectful, one I think our master should know about!"

Stephanie, grabbing Ryan's arm, desperate, said, "No, no, no, no, no. Please, don't do that," as Ryan snatched her away from her harshly, as if Steph had just sneezed on her.

Ryan, looking down at Stephanie told her, "You should know soon enough. In the meantime, you should work on ways on how to please our master until he returns, because tonight marks a new era for all of us."

Steph, sick to her stomach in agony, wondered dimly, what "new era"?

* * *

><p>As Jerry, Pat, and Vince, along with two men in suits, who looked to be attorneys, loaded onto the elevator at the Hilton in Downtown Hartford, they missed Mark and Paul Bearer only by a hair, with Mark's massive hand clamped firmly around Paul's mouth, as they came around the corner!<p>

McMahon and his hired stooges, all four of them, had barely missed the two, and Paul, speaking loudly about how good the buffet smelled, nearly got them caught!

Luckily for Mark and his feline instincts always sticking with him, they went undetected, at least for now. As the elevator rode up to the eleventh floor, Mark, taking his hand from over Paul's mouth, who had his eyes belting out of his face, let go of him, as the Acolytes, Mideon, and Viscera, in all plain clothes now, came up behind them.

"Do you think he saw us?", Paul asked wildly. If McMahon had seen them, they were screwed for tonight.

"No, I don't think so," Mark answered.

Looking back at the boys, Mark gave them a hand gesture to follow him, telling them to "come on". They only had so much time in the day to get things all sorted out for tonight.

Up on the eleventh floor, Vince and the rest of the men followed Vince inside a beautiful and luxurious suite, unbeknownst to Vince, similar to the one Mark and Stephanie were staying in on the eight floor, but only bigger, offering a much better view of Hartford.

Vince was probably the most traumatized that he had ever been in his life. Not only had he lost his stake in the company to a raging maniac, but he also lost his only daughter, to the same raging maniac who had just stolen his company from him!

As Patterson and Briscoe unwound themselves by fixing themselves a drink and offering him one, Vince waved it off, not in the mood to eat or drink anything at that point. All he wanted was Stephanie back.

The lawyers, reaching inside their briefcases, brought out a bunch of papers and folders, Vince, yearning for some good news.

"So, Dean, Matthew, give it to me straight: what is it that we can do to undo this whole marriage thing between Mark and Stephanie?"

The two lawyers, looking at each other for a moment, then turning back to Vince, clasped their hands together, but it was Matthew, Vince's most trusted advisor in all of his legal affairs, who gave Vince the bad news.

"Well, Vince, you see, it's not going to be that easy. Here's the thing, an annulment, as if Mr. Calaway and Stephanie were never married, would be the next best step to take, but, it's not going to be that easy to get one."

Vince, rocked with confusion, asked, "Ok… and why is that?"

Matthew, looking over at Dean, then at Jerry and Pat, and back over to Vince, continued.

"Well, because … ok, let me go back. In Connecticut, one of the most obvious ways we can get a judge to see that this marriage needs to be annulled is if we can prove that this marriage was somehow forced onto your daughter."

Vince, looking around smiling, said to both gentlemen, "Well, that should be easy to prove. She was abducted. You saw how she was strapped down onto that symbol, yelling for those goons to let her go, forcing her into marrying Mark, the entire world saw it. I mean, that's pretty easy right there, don't you think?"

Matthew, moving his head from side to side, continued, "Yes and no. For one, even if we could prove that today, we still couldn't be able to do it until two weeks later. With you telling us earlier how Mr. Calaway's advisor was a legal ordained minister, I'm pretty sure that they've already signed their marriage certificate, and those things come back at least two weeks after it has been signed by both parties and mailed off."

Vince, gulping with worry, allowed Matthew to continue.

"In any event, let's say the certificate does come back. In order for an annulment to be granted in this state, which is the hard part now Vince, the other party who wants the annulment, in this case, Stephanie, she has to prove in a court of law that she actually stopped living with Mr. Calaway once the coercion ended."

Vince, looking around wildly at Jerry and Pat, then back at his attorneys, stated, "But, but, they've never lived together."

Matthew, nodding, stated, "That's just it. _They've never lived together_, and if they never even in the same household, then it's going to be pretty hard trying to get the marriage annulled."

Vince, looking positively sick, had Jerry pat him on his back for support, while Matthew added, "I'm sorry, Mr. McMahon."

Vince couldn't believe this was happening. Did this mean that his baby girl would have to live with this mad man for an extended period of time just to get this farce of a marriage annulled? It didn't make sense to Vince at all.

Desperate for an answer, Vince then asked, "Ok, then what about a divorce?"

Matthew and Dean both looked at each other again, the looks on their faces not endearing to Vince's plight.

"Divorces, even if they are still new into the system, can take an even longer time to actually get than an annulment, and we'll still have to wait at least two weeks before the marriage certificate comes back, if there even is one," said Matthew. "We're going to check to see has one been filed into the system at the county clerk's office today. The good thing about all this is, since Connecticut is a no-fault divorce state, the courts will divide all assets between Mr. Calaway and Stephanie based on the interest of fairness and justice.

We go to court, prove she was abducted and forced into marriage, and he'll have to, more likely than not, pay out a lot of money. We'll have to do some searching for a potential prenuptial agreement, since those types of things are usually private between spouse and spouse."

Vince, nodding, thought about all options that he had.

If he wanted to get an annulment for Stephanie, that meant she actually had to live with Mark, and since they currently didn't, or at least he didn't think they did, that would be tricky, but on the other hand, they could still get a divorce, but the downside to all that was all of this mess would continue to play out in the public, and Vince wasn't quite so sure Steph could handle all the public scrutiny that would surely come with this most definite high-profile divorce.

Vince, looking down at the floor for a moment, then picking his head back up, asked both gentlemen again, "Ok, is there anything else I need to know?"

Dean, speaking up for the first time, said, "Well, Mr. McMahon, here's some more bad news: even when the marriage certificate does come back, we will still have to wait approximately two months and a half, sir, to officially go to court, sir."

Baffled, Vince asked, "Why? I mean, what could possibly be the hold up? My daughter's in trouble."

Dean, nodding, acknowledging Vince's concern, then revealed, "Well, that's because Connecticut requires for the married couple to be married at least ninety days before the proceedings can go to court. It's an, um, fickle process, and after that, it will more than likely, depending on what goes on in the case, take another thirty to ninety days for the divorce to be finalized."

Vince, entirely drunk with sickness, putting his hands in his head then looking down at the floor, finally asked, "So, basically, what you're telling me is, it will possibly be a whole six months plus before Stephanie can legally be divorced?"

Dean, looking at Matthew, nodded his head and confirmed, "Yes, sir Mr. McMahon, that's exactly what I'm telling you."

Then, the room seemed to get quiet for the longest amount of time, until Pat finally broke the silence, "So Vince, what are you going to do?"

Looking outside, Vince could tell it was almost noon. He'd usually be at the arena now waiting for the show to start, but because of this situation, he wasn't able to do that.

Sighing and rubbing his thumbs over his hands, Vince said solemnly, "I don't know Pat. Ultimately, this is a decision for Stephanie to make. I just hopes she can deal with all this."


	15. Patty Hearst

Vince, still in his suite, looking around at his attorneys, Pat, and Jerry, could not believe all of what was happening. And poor Stephanie, she was caught right in the middle of it!

Vince still couldn't figure out exactly where Mark was going with all of this.

Remembering back to his exclusive interview with Jerry Lawler, if this was just about business, he was a businessman, and he sat down and discussed business with others who liked to talk business.

What Mark was doing, forcing him to give up his majority stake in the company, forcing Stephanie into marriage, and endangering the welfare of all the WWF superstars, most of whom looked up to him as the locker room leader, was just beyond comprehension, and he still didn't have a clue as to why he was doing all of this.

Succumbing to the sound of ice cubs hitting glasses, Vince went over to the bar and prepare himself a stiff shot of whiskey. Then, turning back to his attorneys, Vince asked, "Ok, now, what about the interest of the company? I mean, I know what I did, _but_ is there any way we could possibly get it back? Maybe a legal loophole or something?"

Matthew putting his hands in his head, because he too shared this nightmare with Vince, told him with hands still cupped in his face, "Vince, I warned you about trusting Mr. Calaway. I mean, I mean, I just don't see it."

Matthew finally putting his hands down and looking at Vince in the eyes, "Unless he wants to sell it back, but for right now, he has majority interest of the WWF, fair and square. We could always sue and say you were coerced into signing, but that will surely turn into the biggest legal mess that the WWF has ever seen, even more worse than the steroid scandal."

That's when Vince gulped and swayed a bit, as Pat reached out to sturdy him.

Vince's father had started this company. He was up until recently at the helm as the leader of the World Wrestling Federation, and he was ready to pass it down to his own children when the time was right for retirement, but now that Mark was the majority stakeholder, who knew what he was going to do?

Vince surely didn't want to risk going back to trial again. The company was doing great in numbers, as far as ratings and advertisements went, but now, if they had to go to trial over this whole ordeal, then everything that Vince and the other WWF officials and superstars had strived for in the past two years would all end!

Matthew, looking into some documents now with his glasses, went on to say, "The one thing that works in our favor is that, A, he may be willing to sell his stock back, although at a hefty price. The WWF is at an all time high as far as viewership and profitability is concerned, but, if the money's right, and Vince, I am talking a lot of it, then he might consider re-selling you your controlling asset.

B, Linda still has a large minority stake in the company, 40% to be exact, so she still has a lot of say so in the direction of the company, as well. Mr. Calaway more than likely will hire someone to oversee his new interest in the company, and hopefully through him, we'll be able to get facilitate a deal.

But as of right now Vince, our best decision is to simply wait him out. If we go too strong or try to enforce some legal bravado, who's to say, given this man's mental state, that he won't do something drastic to force the company back by the waste side again. Vince, WCW isn't completely dead. They could have a major resurgence if Mr. Calaway goes off the deep end with this whole thing."

The mere thought of WCW retaking the lead in the ratings war and putting WWF out of business, like they were close to doing two years ago, sent absolute chills down Vince's spine.

Everyone from the front office to the back, including Mark, had worked their butts off tirelessly to turn the company around 180, and if he was going to betray the company that made him just to spite Vince …

Vince, putting his hands in his pockets, looking more gloom than ever, finally realized that Mark had all the cards and chips stacked in his favor, and as Matthew said, he simply had to wait him out.

"Ok. Let's start a new strategy then…"

* * *

><p>Stephanie sat at the end of the bed for most of the day, absolutely miserable.<p>

For one, she couldn't take her mind off of Shane and Vince. No matter what those two may have done in the past, everything that was done and said was from a business perspective only.

Mark, however, had taken this thing way too far and not only made this not just about business, but had made everything extremely personal, as well. And just how much more personal could you get by forcing your boss' daughter into marriage?

Ryan was sitting on the other of the room, watching Stephanie like a hawk. She had tried to get some conversation out of her, but she realized that Mark and the Ministry had diluted this poor girl's mind completely.

One week she was being sacrificed and having her brother beaten down and humiliated right in front of her face, the next, she was costing her brother the match against the man who orchestrated her abduction, and was now fanatically loyal to him!

Steph, dying for conversation, playing with her thumbs, looked over to Ryan, and asked, "Ryan?"

Ryan looked up and gave a Stephany very visible shiver, as if the mere mention of her name repulsed her. Stephanie then waited for Ryan to give a look of response before she continued.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Not really saying anything, Ryan simply gave a slow nod.

"I don't mean to be rude, but, what did Mar… I mean, _Master,_ what did _Master_ do to you? Why do you now hate your brother? I mean, Mar…_Master_ abducted you, and Kenny has always been there for you. Not trying to intrude, but…"

Before Stephanie could even finish her statement, Ryan got up out of her seat at the desk and swept her hand over the table again, before she let out the most frightening laugh Stephanie had ever heard escape another woman's lips.

As Ryan gave the same maniacal laugh Mark would belt out, Stephanie simply sat there in awe as Ryan began delivering her spill.

"Oh, Stephanie, poor, poor Stephanie," Ryan started, laughing once again before she continued. "Ah yes, our Master. Our master has delivered me. He did say be weary of those who have no vision."

Then, suddenly rushing to Stephanie and grabbing her by the arms, squeezing tightly, Ryan belted out, "You can't see the forest through the trees. Our master is going to take over the WWF, and there will be no one to stop him! Not Vince, not Shane, not even Kenny! And don't say that name around me again! I _hate_ that name!", letting Stephanie's arms go, Ryan turned her back to Stephanie, quickly and suddenly.

The way Ryan spit out how she hated her brother's name made Stephanie sick to the stomach. No matter what she and Shane had been through, Stephanie didn't think there was anything in the world that could make her actually hate her own brother.

Dumbfounded, Stephanie went on to reiterate, "But, Ryan, that's _your_ brother. He loves you! Please tell me, what did Mark do to you, maybe I can help."

That's when Ryan began to laugh like a crazy person again. This girl was truly off her rocker crazy and if Mark could do that to her, what in the world did he have in store for Stephanie?

"He did nothing but open my eyes up to a completely different world, my dear, Stephanie. He is the one who is all knowing, who we are to serve, and protect only. Think about it, Stephanie: how great is our master for actually allowing us to be here? Others might not have been so lucky, but our master sees fit for us to do this! We must thank him and show him our gratitude. He's all we know!"

And as she was walking off, Stephanie, although clearly no scientist or psychologist, finally came to the conclusion that not only had Ryan been brainwashed, but that she also thought she might be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome or something relatively close to that, like Patty Hearst, and if that was the case, how long would it be before she became the next Ryan?


	16. Ether

It was getting late in the evening now, around 4-ish, and Taker and Ministry were on the hunt. After almost literally running into Vince this morning, Taker had Mideon and Viscera stake out the hotel, while he and the rest of the Ministry made the 45 minute drive south to New Haven, to put in place the matches Taker had set for tonight. Tonight was the beginning of a brand new era in the World Wrestling Federation, and Taker would be the one who was ushering it in.

As the group were rounding back to the hotel, Mideon made the call to Taker on his cell phone, letting him now that for the past five minutes, Vince's two lawyers, Dean and Matthew, had been standing outside the hotel talking. That's when Taker gave Paul, who was driving, the instructions to drop him off around the corner, the plan being that although he'd have to walk to the hotel, once he got into the hotel's alleyway, _someone_ was going to talk.

As Taker made it around to the back of the hotel, he crept up in the alley, scaring a couple feral cats that had been eating out the dumpster. Mideon called Taker once more, informing him that now outside of the hotel too was Vince, Pat, and Jerry, who all looked dressed for the show tonight.

"Excellent", Taker said, curling his lips into a sadistic smile. As he made his way to the end of the alley, he peeped around the corner to see Vince, Jerry, and Pat, and the two attorneys, all talking to one another in front of the hotel's revolving door.

Then, Vince's signature black limo pulled up to the front of the hotel, as well, the chauffeur getting out and greeting everyone, and as Vince and the Stooges shook the other gentlemen's hands and departed. The other two gentlemen dressed in suits stood in front of the hotel for another five minutes or so, still talking to one another, giving Taker the perfect opportunity to douse the cloth he had stuffed in his vest's pocket, with the containments of a brown bottle, the liquid inside the bottle being so strong it even brought tears to his eyes.

Putting the top back on the bottle, Taker veered around the corner again, to see one of the attorney's, who he knew for certain now was Matthew, shaking hands with the other gentlemen, before Matt started walking in his direction.

As soon as Matt got in between the break of the hotel and the building right next to it, Taker stuck his paw like hand with the ether doused rag over Matthew's face!

Not knowing what to do, Matthew dropped his briefcase in an attempt to fight back, but suddenly, everything between his brain and body went completely numb. The more he breathed into the rag, the more he felt the loss of his motor skills, as both of his arms began to go limp, his vision blurred, his tongue felt dried, his body going into paralysis, and he was powerless to stop it!

Taker, pulling back some, wanting Matt to be capable of some speech in order for him to get his information, drug Matthew behind the dumpster, then went back out to the sidewalk where Matthew had dropped his briefcase. Picking it up, Taker looked around for the sedan that Mideon and Viscera were looking out from, and walked casually back into the alleyway.

As Matthew groaned and moaned on the wet stinky ground, feeling as if his entire body was shutting down, Taker had only one thing only to ask him:

"What did you and Vince talk about?"

* * *

><p>It was 5pm now and there was still no sign of the Ministry or Mark. Stephanie wondered in horror what it was that they could have been that could keep them out for so long.<p>

While the bedroom was very nice in decor, Stephanie quickly found herself bored, and she simply couldn't take anymore hypothesizing about Mark's whereabouts. Standing up in order to stretch her achy arms and legs, Stephanie walked over to the bedroom door to allow some fresh air to flow through, however, Ryan jumped in her way, ordering her to sit back down, telling her menacingly, "You aren't going anywhere!"

Clearly taken aback, Steph did as ordered, but felt as if her insides were crumbling. She wanted to cry, but she wasn't about to give Ryan the satisfaction.

_"Why? why is Mark doing this to me? Why did he first trust me, leaving me alone while he showered, then almost pushing me to the brink of sex, then leave me with here Ryan, who won't even let me open the door ? Does he not trust me?"_

Stephanie's thoughts were then interrupted by the sounds of running water coming from the bathroom. Steph, looking up at Ryan who was exiting it, who told her that it was time for her to take her bath.

_"A bath!" _Stephanie shouted mentally, elated.

Her wrists had a nagging ache to them, from Mark squeezing them so hard, her neck felt horrible, and the inside of her legs had an ache to them, as well, which she really couldn't describe. Yes, a hot bath would definitely do wonders for her throbbing body.

As the tub filled with warm water and overflowing bubbles, Steph, with the help of Ryan, got out of that awful black dress, stalkings, and that horrible chocker. Steph, usually very vain about her nakedness, allowed herself to dip into the bath and simply relax.

Ryan, picking up a loofah, ran than sponge over Stephanie's back and chest, soothing her body as she did went. Going over her legs then sides, Stephanie felt like for the first time in a long time, she was finally getting some much deserved relaxation.

After about thirty minutes of bathing, Ryan helped Stephanie rinse off, before covering and drying her off in a fluffy towel. After drying her off successfully, Ryan massaged a variation of oils and lotions into her skin, rubbing them gently over her back, buttocks, and legs.

As Stephanie stood there and allowed Ryan to coddle her body, she reached inside the suit protector that had been hiding under the rolling table, unzipping it, revealing a t-strap, little black dress number. It was all lace dress, the top cinching tightly in the waist, with the bottom flowing out freely. It would have been a beautiful dress to Steph had it not been all black.

Ryan also took out a set of fingerless black gloves that went around the pinky finger and the thumb, leaving her other fingers exposed. They had a satin ribbon laced through the arm part, as well, which embellished the black leather boots with satin ribbons that Ryan pulled from under the table, as well, which, once again, fit her feet perfectly.

For undergarments, the only thing Ryan apparently bought was a pair of black lace panties to match her ensemble. After helping her step into those, Stephanie, looking around for the bra, while covering her breasts with her forearms, asked tamely, "Um, Ryan, where's my bra?"

Ryan, looking up at Stephanie, smirked a bit and told her quite confidently, "You don't have one."

Just as quickly as Ryan said that, Steph felt a cold gaze upon her backside, and when she turned her head slightly to see where it was coming from, there was Mark, leaning on the doorway, arms folded up, admiring her body!

Once again, Stephanie felt her whole outer beings turn bright red with embarrassment, her eyes telling the tale, which Mark, thankfully, couldn't see from his angle.

Mark had, up until the point, never seen her naked before, although he had touched in places that he was never supposed to. But nevertheless, her captor, Mark Calaway, was just standing in the doorway, staring at her naked! Steph could have just died!

Mark, clearing his throat, forcing Ryan to look up at him with anticipation of his next order, told her softly, "You can leave now, Ryan. I'll help Stephanie get dressed."

And with that, Ryan bowed out of the room, but not before Mark grabbed Ryan's arm, running an affectionate finger over her hair and face, almost making the poor girl to scream with happiness.

_"Master rewarded me!"_, Ryan thought jubilantly as she left out of the room.

Stephanie, with her backside exposed in those lace panties, still had her back faced to Mark, her arms covering her breasts. Mark, sitting his glasses on the table, along with his baseball cap, freed his long black hair, rubbing his fingers through it, taking in an eyeful of Stephanie's nearly perfect body, walked behind her slowly, before moving her arms down to her sides, Stephanie's breath catching.

From there, Mark took both hands and ran his fingers up the both of Stephanie's sides, causing her to shiver, the hair on the back of her neck and arms began to stand on end, goosebumps starting to take refuge all over her body.

He then clasped both his hands over her breasts and before she knew it, his mouth, warm with desire, started suckling on her neck. Stephanie absolutely began to melt! She had never felt nor experience anything like this before, and even though it was coming for Mark, it felt absolutely wonderful!

But once again, like before, Stephanie had to come to the realization about just _who_ was doing this to her, and Mark, sensing she was about to say something in protest, with his mouth still on her neck, causing her to arch her back and writhe in his arms, took his right hand, slid it slowly down her abdomen, over her waist and bellybutton, and entered her panties!

Steph, gasping as he tickled the peach fuzz between her legs, suddenly almost shot to the moon with a strong quiver all over her body, as Mark thumbed her clitoris again!

Panting now, biting her lips, and looking off into the sky, Mark spread her legs further, and stuck not one, but two fingers inside of her, slowly moving in and out of her, her juices between her legs starting to flow with each pump of Mark's delicate thrusts of his fingers. Pinching her left nipple at the same time, Mark, still with his mouth on her neck, slowly pulling his mouth away, then began to nibble on her right ear lobe, while his fingers inside her panties kept pushing Stephanie to the brink.

Biting her lips and screaming out, "Oh, God," as he ravished her body, Mark whispered in her ear, "Tell me you want me, Stephanie. Say it."

Stephanie, almost breaking out in a small sweat, mouth dry from desire and pure sexual bliss, gasped for air, and stuttered out, "I…I…I…I want…"

Just as she was about to utter those words, Mark simultaneously rubbed his finger over her vaginal nub and pushed inside her hard, holding his fingers there! Stephanie didn't know what came over her, but a rush of emotions and colors, and a burning feeling all over her body, and tingly sensations, took her whole body over like a surfer to wave, flooding her, making her scream like she had never screamed before, "I want you! I want you! Oh, my God, oh my God, I need you, please!"

Mark, taking his fingers from her her insides now, continuing to rub her nub, turned her around to face him, Steph looking into his green eyes with a deep yearning, while he took the edge of her panties and slid them all the way down, Steph helping him do so! In the back of her mind, she knew what she was doing was wrong, that she was singlehandedly handing Mark the keys to her life, but she couldn't help herself!

Mark, then taking his mouth back to her neck, picking Stephanie up by her butt, his right hand right in the middle, while his left hand wrapped around her waist, holding her snuggly in place. Moving his mouth over her left breast, Mark suckling with care, as Stephanie whipped her head back in ecstasy.

With her legs still wrapped around Mark's waist, Stephanie rubbed up and down his back, sinking her fingernails into it, still succumbing to the bright flashes of color that were exploding all around her.

Walking with her now, Mark, never leaving her nipple, walked the pair into the bathroom and cut the water on to the shower. Setting Stephanie down to her feet now, Mark turned her back around and sank his mouth into her neck once more, before pushing her forward slightly with his hands around her waist, stepping back, and telling her to get into the shower.

Stephanie, legs trembling, disoriented from whatever she had just experienced, a white substance slowly crawling down her legs, stepped into the shower, with Mark telling her, "Freshen up, we have to leave soon," slapping on her butt slightly, before closing the shower.

Steph, at a loss for words, sinking back against the shower wall, thought out loud to herself, "Oh, God, what have I done?"


	17. Long Ride to New Haven

As Stephanie sank back into the shower, hands over her chest, she was in complete shock about what she had done! She couldn't believe that she had, for the second time, had let Mark come within inches of having sex with her!

Looking around the shower, scared out of her mind, Steph proceeded to wash off a bit more, especially between her legs and the spots were Mark had been kissing, her breasts and her neck, then dried off, still anxious.

_"How could I allow him to get this close to me once again? What is wrong with me?", _Stephanie thought with unease.

First, she and Mark almost had sex after he forced her to marry him, now they had almost done the same thing yet again!

_"Snap out of it, Stephanie! This man abducted you, forced you into marriage, and wanted to destroy your brother and father! Get yourself together. Focus on the plan to free yourself from Mark!" _

Yes, that's what Stephanie wanted to do, but for some reason, focusing on the task at hand seemed extra hard now

Looking around for a moment, Stephanie searched for a pair of panties, because the one's she previously had on … she couldn't wear those!

Putting on the dress, Steph tried to push her breasts up into it as snuggly as possible, not to show off her cleavage, but since she didn't have a bra, her breasts would have been smushed down into, flat as a pancake.

Bending over to put on her boots, Steph felt a breeze brush under her backside, since the bottom of the dress was all lace. The feeling of not wearing panties put her nerves on end!

After sliding on her gloves, then looking herself in the mirror, Stephanie saw something in herself that she did not like. For one, why was she willingly putting her clothes on herself, without the forceful help of Ryan? She was sinking in to Mark's peer pressure and she was suddenly disgusted with herself.

_"Oh, God, what am I becoming?" _

But on the other hand, if she didn't do what Mark said, she'd be punished, and going back to those whipping sounds she heard in the warehouse … no, Stephanie did not want that.

Mustering up the courage and walking towards the door, Stephanie carefully watching her footsteps, not wanting to fall in those clunky shoes, opened the bedroom door, and looking around slowly.

Mark, who had changed into his wrestling attire, was staring out the window, arms stretched out on the sill, but when he sensed Stephanie come out the room, he turned his head slowly, causing her to gulp and wring her hands with fear. Whenever he looked at her, Stephanie felt her entire body chill. He scared her, and she was quite sure that Mark was aware of this fact, as well.

Mark then walked up to Steph and stood over her, looking down at her, easily dwarfing her smaller stature. Looking down on the ground, still wringing her fingers, Stephanie was as nervous as ever.

What was Mark going to do to her family? How was he going to use her in his reign of terror? And how exactly would she gain her freedom tonight? She still didn't any of this sorted out and it weighed heavily on her conscience.

Reaching up and touching the hook that was attached to the front of Stephanie's collar, pulling back with his fingers as he walked backwards to the window, Stephanie had no choice but to follow. If she resisted, she'd strain her neck and also run the risk pissing Mark off. That was something that she did not want to do.

As he sat in the window sill, admiring her vivid beauty, from her round oval false, small perfect nose and lips, immature breasts, small waste line, and creamy white skin, Steph, who had been looking down at the floor, finally spoke up.

"Mark, I don't have any panties to wear."

Taking a chance to look up, Steph saw that certain glimmer in Mark's eyes again, and that was never good. Suddenly a knock came to at the door and before Mark could say anything, the door opened, revealing Mark's plump mentor, Paul Bearer, dressed in an all black cheap looking suit with a blue shirt underneath.

"The car's round front," Paul, who had his bag in his arm told Mark, before revealing ghoulishly, "Everything's all in place for tonight."

That's when Steph began to panic. As she was about to bravely ask Mark about what exactly was in place, he let go of Stephanie's choker, and grabbed her by the arm, telling her to "come on." As Stephanie struggled to keep up behind him, Christian re-entered the room, Stephanie guessing to get Mark's belongings.

As the entered the elevator and made their way downstairs, Stephanie had all sorts of butterflies flying around in the pit of her stomach. She was raked with terror, and the thought of her being remotely attracted to Mark, after he managed to come near sex with her twice, suggested that like Ryan, she too was changing just in order to conform to Mark's whim, and that what was most shocking of all about this: she wasn't supposed to be! It wasn't normal!

As they made their way outside the hotel, with several guests who were dressed up in business attire, looking on confusingly as they swept across the lobby floor, Stephanie turned around to see poor Christian struggling to keep up. She also noticed that he had a limp to him, as well. With Mark's bag flung over his shoulder, Christian opened the door for the two, while Mark nudged Stephanie into the limo, before leaning down to Paul's ear, whispering something. Stepping to the the limo himself now, Christian closed the door, and before Stephanie knew it, they were off.

Stephanie looked outside the limo's tinted windows, seeing all the buildings in the downtown area fly by quickly, as she and Mark were now headed for New Haven, with God only knows what was in store.

Leaning his head against the door and sticking his long leg out against the seat, Mark stared at Stephanie long enough for her to realize he was watching her. When she caught his eyesight, Mark brought his finger up to view, moving it back and forth, motioning for her to come to him.

Stephanie, gulping once more, did as order, sliding along the seat until she got within arm reach of him. And an arm length was al that was needed, as Mark reached out and grabbed Stephanie, pulling her soft, sensual body on top of his relatively hard, masculine one. Looking down at him, Steph tried to read his eyes, but they were murky, never revealing an inkling into what he may have been thinking.

Steph then felt fingers crawl up the back of her leg, forcing her to turn her head sideways to see what he was doing.

"Mark, please, I…"

Her words were cut short when his fingers reached up to her backside, tracing the crease of her buttocks. Mark, strong with desire, voiced within Steph's ear, "No panties, right?"

Turning back around to meet his gaze, Stephanie felt Mark reach up to push her hair back behind her ear, then, tracing his fingers back down her face, and over her left shoulder, he began to yank on the strap of her dress.

Attempting to move his hands, Mark simply gave her a warning glance, as if he wanted her to remember his prothetic words: "You're mines."

Yanking at her strap again, Mark removed his hand from her behind and yanked the right strap down, violently pushing down the rest of her dress, the top of it suddenly residing under the breasts. As she put her hands over her chest again, Mark pushed her arms down with only a bit of force, exposing her naked breasts. Then leaning up a bit, he pushed the rest of dress all the way down her body, with Stephanie fully unclothed in front of him, naked!

Feeling chills spring up all over her body and her cheeks turn perpetually red, Mark laughed.

Taking both his hands and moving them over her behind and cupping them so hard he jerked Stephanie up a bit more his chest, Mark whispered in Stephanie's ear: "Lay your head down."

Stephanie, doing as she was told, put her head down on Mark's chest, with him continuing to cup and mold her buttocks. Taking a finger and going up against the fold of her butt, then trailing it up her back, back down again, feeling in between her labia, sexually torturing her, as Stephanie shivered uncontrollably, was the theme of the entire forty five minute drive to New Haven.


	18. What a Way to Kick Off Smackdown!

As the limo neared the back of the New Haven Coliseum, Mark, with his hands still caressing Stephanie's body, sat up with her, Steph's chest pressed flatly onto his. _"_

_What am I doing?"_

Stephanie couldn't understand why she wasn't fighting Mark back. Sure, she was deathly afraid of this man's actions and his temper, but why was she allowing him to touch her body so intimately like he had been doing for the past two days now? And that's what shocked Stephanie the most. Within these last two days, she had allowed Mark invade her life, both mentally and emotionally. What was going on with her, and more importantly, why was Stephanie allowing him to do this to her?

Mark, still with his arms wrapped around her, almost picking her up a bit as he was did so, forcing Steph to wrap her arms around him, reached over and grabbed her discarded dress. "Put this back on. We're here."

Stephanie, confused as ever, slid away quietly, slipping back into her dress, her hands covering her breasts, Mark scowling at as if she had done something wrong. Making sure the straps were adjusted correctly, Stephanie looked over to Mark, who was now looking out the window.

Upon hearing Christian opening the driver door, then coming round to the passenger, Mark, looking more diabolical than ever, looked over to Steph and told her, "Now the fun begins."

_"This is it!"_, Stephanie thought._ "What's going to happen now?_"

* * *

><p>Inside the sold out New Haven Coliseum, Michael Cole, addressing the audience at home, with his broadcast partner, Jim Cornette, started off the network premiere of Smackdown!<p>

"The WWF returns to network television tonight and we're proud to be back! Hello and welcome everybody to WWF Smackdown! This place is jacked, the WWF fans are pumped here on UPN! Michael Cole, Jim Cornette at ringside!"

"Michael it's going to be a tremendous night, network television, the WWF, what a combination!", Cornette pushed, as ring announcer, Tony Chimel, stood in the middle of the ring, microphone in hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen, will you please welcome the principal owner of the World Wrestling Federation, Vince McMahon!"

The crowd, warmly regarding Vince as a "good guy" now, watched as Vince, followed by Pat Patterson and Jerry Briscoe, walked to the ring solemnly, Vince looking the worse for wear.

"He's the owner of the World Wrestling Federation, he's run this company for two decades, but what hellish week it's been for Vince McMahon, Jim. First, his daughter was abducted by the Undertaker, just as we were going off the air after Backlash, then the next night on Monday Night Raw, the Undertaker, doing just what he said he was going to do all along, he married Stephanie McMahon, Jim."

"Michael, in all my years in the wrestling industry, I have never, ever seen anything quite like that. And I tell you, I've known the Undertaker for quite a while now, he's always been the Conscious of the WWF, but what has come over the Undertaker as of recent weeks, we don't know, but what we do know is, Vince McMahon, on WWF's return to network television, has called a very special meeting with all the WWF superstars, they're backstage, they're tuned in, let us tune in, as well!"

Vince, with microphone in hand, with Jerry and Pat right beside him, began to talk to the crowd. "Well, it's official, the WWF has finally made its lauded debut back to network television, right here in New Haven, Connecticut" Vince said, looking around the arena, as he got an expectedly loud pop from the hometown crowd.

"And being that tonight is a historic night," Vince said, then trying to compose his words, looking down at the mat, while Pat consoled him, was, for the first time in a very long time, at a loss for words.

Vince never backed down from anyone or anything. He didn't back down from the promoters of the former territories, he didn't back down the United States government, he didn't back down from Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff, but right then, he didn't feel as brave to weather another storm as he had done with all the other controversies he had been experienced throughout his lifetime.

Mark had really taken a mental toll on his psyche. He was barely able to function at all, and all the stress that Mark had subjected he and his family to was the ultimate reason why.

"Vince must be living in a nightmare Jim," Cole said sympathetically on commentary.

"A nightmare is right," Cornette managed. "And what's worse, Vince can't seem to wake up from it."

Regaining his composure, Vince continued. "Being that tonight is a historic night, I really did not want to start off with bad news, but, I've run this company now for the better part of twenty years, and a lot of people have helped me to get to where I am, mainly the superstars in the back, who are watching this right now…"

Just then, the camera panned to to the majority of the WWF Superstars, Sable, with her bodyguard, Nicole Bass, Godfather, Goldust, Val Venis, Terri Runnels, Jacqueline, Droz, Ivory, Al Snow and his head, Tori, WWF referees, amongst others, all sitting in what looked to be a meeting space, watched and listened to what McMahon had to say, with the exception of Sable, who was preoccupied with the massage she was from Nicole. Everyone else, however, looked on intently, because when the boss called an unexpected meeting like this, it had to be big.

"…everyone, from the announcers at ringside, to the production crews, everyone, has helped Vince McMahon in some shape or fashion, and I don't want any of you to ever feel as if I take what you do for granted, and I mean that. To continue, however, I do have some very unfortunate news to deliver."

Vince, looking around, trying to remain diligent, withJerry now reaching out and patting Vince on the shoulder, continued.

"Last night on Monday Night Raw, we all saw what the Undertaker did with my daughter, Stephanie," Vince managed, as the crowd booed instantly at the mere mention of Taker's name.

Vince, sighing, continued. "We all saw it, I saw it, and …"

Putting the microphone by his side, Vince had to look around the arena yet again, trying to muster the courage to address the viewing audience as truthfully as possible, but the lump in the back of his throat the size of Texas, was making that exceptionally hard to do.

Cole back on commentary commented, "My God, Jim, looked what the Undertaker has put Mr. McMahon through. I mean, no matter how you may feel about Mr. McMahon on a professional level, no one deserves to have done what the Undertaker and the Ministry have done to the McMahon family as a whole."

Cornette agreeing, chimed in, "And you're exactly right, Michael, no matter how you feel about Vince McMahon the person, Stephanie was just a pawn in all of this. She's a pawn in the Undertaker's sick obsession … with … with … with whatever he's been so obsessed with lately."

Vince, finally able to regain his composure, belted out "What you all saw on TV was much bigger of an atrocity than what really happened backstage, as Raw went off the air. What you did not see after the cameras stopped rolling, was something just as traumatic. To make a long story short, due to my lack of care for certain financial and contractual documents, Vince McMahon is no longer the principal owner of the World Wrestling Federation."

"WHAT?!" is all that could be heard from both Cole and Cornette on commentary, as the superstars in the back, even Sable now sitting up, were all shocked, in a frenzy now, each one of them looking around at each other, as Vince continued in the ring.

"No, in fact, the World Wrestling Federation has a new majority shareholder, and that person is…", Vince, looking around sickly now, said it with complete disgust, "The Undertaker."

The crowd in New Haven let out a collective "Whoa!", as Cornette and Cole tried to make sense of what Vince had just said, while the superstars in the back, mostly all of them standing up now, had their voices raised, some even had their hands in their head, others had their heads in their laps, all shocked at Vince's revelation. If the Undertaker was going to be their new boss, then what would happen to them?! They all saw what Taker had done to the Bossman and Shamrock, and neither one of them wanted to be the next victim of Taker's out of control madness!

Back in the ring, Vince continued with his earth shattering news, as the crowd in New Haven buzzed with pure shock.

"Believe me, this is not how I wanted to start off this night. Tonight, we wanted to make history, but not under these circumstances. However, I can assure you all that Vince McMahon is doing everything within his power to …"

Before Vince could continue his statement, the sound of glass breaking filled the arena, and the crowd in New Haven went completely berserk, as the Texas Rattlesnake, carrying his personal property, the Smoking Skullbbelt, stomped his way into the ring, looking every bit of foul!

Michael Cole, pumped at the sight of Austin over his headset, screamed, "Jim, can you just listen to this place?! Austin has brought more than 10,000 fans to their feet here Jim, but the Rattlesnake doesn't look to be in a very good mood."

"Not a good mood, indeed Michael Cole, because as we were going off the air on Monday night, not only did the Undertaker assault Austin with that baseball bat after he came down to the ring to rescue Stephanie, but he also assaulted Austin again afterwards, and I just wonder what kind of revenge Austin has plotted here tonight, Michael," Cornette finished, as Austin, walking into the ring with a fury, gave McMahon the finger, as Vince turned in the opposite direction.

Austin, saluting the fans at each post with the obscene gesture, the asked for a microphone, while the crowd in New Haven screamed "Austin, Austin, Austin!" to the top of their lungs.

Austin started off his promo by proclaiming, "First of all, Vince, you are one sorry son of a bitch!" drawing rave cheers from the crowd, fans showing their support of Austin by waving their Austin 3:16 signs in the air and their foam middle finger signs.

"Let me set the record straight, right here right now," Austin said. "I meant everything I said last night on Monday Night Raw and that is, Vince McMahon, you can positively kiss my ass!", which drew even more cheers from the crowd, as the cameras in the arena fell on fans holding up Austin signs.

"Well, it looks like still nothing has changed between Austin and Vince," Cornette noted.

"I came down to the ring last night for one person and one person only, and that was for your little daughter, Stephanie. As far as I'm concerned, you can drop dead right now, it don't make me a bit of difference!"

"Wow. Austin is livid!" Cole said on announcements.

"Last night, I did you a favor, and it cost me, and what it cost me was another shot to the head from the Undertaker."

The mere mention of Undertaker's name again brought on more heavy boos from the crowd, but Austin, pacing the ring in a black Austin 3:16 t-shirt, blue jean shorts, and back boots, continued saying, "I'mma get to that in a second, but what I wanna address right here, right now is why those WWF superstars in the back, who got their beady little eyes on that monitor, watching this, felt the need to eyeball old Stone Cold all damn day long."

In the back, several superstars, looking clearly unimpressed by Austin, continued listening.

"Even if I did get hit across the head with a baseball last night, my memory is clear: only three people came down to the ring to help your little daughter Stephanie, and that was the Big Show, Shamrock, and me, and this is a message just to anyone back there who want to get them some: just name the time,, name the place, son and Stone Cold Steve Austin will be there, camping out, beer in the cooler, ready to whip somebody's ass!"

"Well, apparently, Austin might feel like he's not being appreciated backstage by the other superstars, and he does have a point, Michael. Why didn't the other superstars come down to help Stephanie on Raw?" Cornette pondered.

Austin, all pissed off, kept going. "Now, that leads me to the …

That's when Ken Shamrock's music cut Austin off, and "the World's Most Dangerous Man", armed with another Louisville Slugger, made his way into the ring, who also looked as equally pissed off as Austin.

Snatching the mic from Austin, who was taken aback a bit, tilted his head at Ken, who was looking around at the crowd, finally responded, "You know what, Austin? You think you're such a big man, you think you scare people. You call yourself the Texas Rattlesnake, but everybody in the back sees you just how I see, and that's a fraud!"

Drawing mild to heavy jeers from the crowd, Shamrock added, "Austin, you didn't get the job done!" And with that, Shamrock, nose to nose with Austin, had a look in his eye as if he wanted to get it on with the Texas Rattlesnake!

"Well this powder keg looks like it could explode at any minute!" Cole observed from ringside.

"Explode indeed, Michael, these two look like they want to get it … whup…" Shamrock cut Cornette off on commentary by adding, "And Austin, I know that you…"

Austin, the crowd cheering, snatched the microphone back away from Shamrock, making a full circle, putting some space in between he and Kenny, with Smoking Skull belt still in hand, before addressing him again. "

Son, I can tell by the sound of your voice that you're looking for trouble and if trouble is what you want, then look no further!" Austin spit out! It didn't matter who Austin fought, although he preferred the Undertaker, all he really wanted to do was to stomp a mudhole in somebody's ass.

"It seems to me, you can't get the job done, either, because you ran down with your little bitty bat and what good did it do ya? Stone Cold Steve Austin, DTA, 'Don't Trust Anybody', and I don't trust you, I don't trust those sons of bitches in the back, and if you wanna fight, I say get in line and take a number, but first on the list is the Undertaker! Matter of fact, I'll whip both of your sorry asses at the same damn time and that's all I gotta say about that!"

Steve, who was pacing after his insult to Kenny, was met by him right in the face, Kenny, dropping his bat, holding his arms up, the crowd sensing a fight about to go down, screamed out "Austin, Austin, Austin!", as the Rattlesnake through his title down, his heavy blue eyes looking into Shamrock's with every intention of having a good old fist fight!

Vince, however, stepping between both Kenny and Austin, tried to defuse the situation. "Both of you stop it! Stop it! Hey, stop it right now!" The crowd, not liking McMahon breaking up a potential slobber knocker, booed, as Vince went on to lecture both men. "Hey, you two can fight each other anytime, but right now…" Vince suddenly stopped as Austin pointed his finger in Vince's face. "I know, Steve, but wait, listen! All of us, the WWF as a whole, we all have one common enemy. Kenny, who was it that abducted your sister, Ryan? And Austin, who is it that just you last night in the head with a baseball bat? And who is it that stole this very company from up under me and is now considered your boss? It's the Undertaker! The Undertaker has caused all of this, and guys, guys, I know, but right now, we should focus on the common enemy."

Just then, the lights went out and as the gong tolled, everyone in the arena knew that the Undertaker was coming.

"Uh oh, Jim!", said Michael Cole warningly.

"Uh oh, is right Michael Cole, because as old JR would say, business is about to pick up!", said Cornette to the fans at home.

As the arena lit up a dark purple color, Taker's satanic chanting was heard all across the arena, and the Ministry, the Brood and Viscera spanning to the left of the stage, while the Acolytes and Mideon, spanning to the right, made way for the one and only Undertaker, who was was walking hand in hand, fingers laced, down to the ring, with Stephanie, as Ryan and Paul Bearer followed just behind them, the rest of the Ministry filling in from behind.

Stephanie, who honestly did not want to go anywhere near her father dressed like this, struggled against Taker's grasp, but he was so strong, he literally pulled her along the side of him, as he walked down to the ring with his robe covering his tall body from head to toe.

"Look at this, Jim. The Undertaker is literally dragging the lovely Stephanie McMahon," Cole disgusted discussed on commentary/

"Not only that Michael Cole, but according to Vince McMahon, the Undertaker is now the new principal owner of the WWF! Is this guy really the one who's going to be signing our paychecks? What is going on here?"

As Stephanie was helped into the ring by members of the Ministry on the right, Taker on the left, climbed the steel steps, and in his trademark move, raised the light with his hands, while his eyes were firmly rolled back into his head. As the lights came up and Taker stepped into the ring, Vince looked over at him with every ounce of hate he could summon in his body, while also looking over to Stephanie, who desperately wanted her father, but was being held back Bradshaw!

Then the camera turned to Ryan Shamrock, who looked more evil and heinous than ever.

"Look at Ryan Shamrock! Can you imagine what the Ministry must have done to her, Michael?"

Kenny, grabbing the Mic from Austin, tried to walk over to his sister, but she stepped behind Taker, who had his arms folded up menacingly, his lips curled into a small smile. "Ryan, sweetie, what did they do you? You can come back home now, it's safe, I promise."

Ryan, looking up at Taker with a glimmer that Kenny had personally never seen her look at anyone with, was given a small nod by Taker. Ryan, turning her attention back to her brother, walked over to Kenny, in her all new look, snatching the microphone from his hand, before smiling in his face, telling Kenny matter of factly, "What makes you think I _want_ to leave the Ministry, Kenny?"

The crowd, giving "oohs", as Kenny looked at Ryan up and down, then at Taker, looked back to his sister again, who said, "What makes you think that I'm not already safe? The truth of the matter is Kenny, you failed me! You failed to protect me and quite honestly, I don't give a damn about you!"

"What in God's name is she saying?!" Cornette wondered astonishingly.

Kenny, mouth dropping, for once in his life, looked heartbroken, while his sister continued to berate him. "You let the big bad Undertaker abduct me twice, and before him, you wouldn't let me live my life. You tried to control me with fear and anguish. You let Val Venis use me, and Kenny, I won't take it anymore!"

"Use her? Last time I checked, Kenny tried to save her from being Val's play thing!", Cornette remembered vividly.

"You see, Kenny, here in the Ministry, not only do I have a home now, but Ken, quite frankly, the Undertaker saved me, and what he saved me from was from you!" and with that Ryan hauled off and slapped Kenny so fast, the force from it made him move his head sideways! With his head still sideways, Ryan kept the verbal beating good. "Oh, and by the way, my name is no longer Ryan, for you see, Kenny, I have a new name, given to me by the Lord of Darkness himself, and that name is Sapphira!"

"Sapphira? What kind of name is that?" Cornette asked almost dumbfounded.

"The old Ryan you know is gone! Have a nice life, _brother_!"

And with that, Ryan dropped the microphone at Kenny's feet, headed back over to her master, who looked on proudly, while Kenny still had his head turned in shock and confusion! Why had Ryan done this?

Austin, walking over and picking the microphone up from Kenny's feet, got a pop from merely putting the mic up to his lips, saying, "Well I hate to break up such a loving family reunion, but Undertaker, I'm afraid you're in possession of a piece of my property, and that would be your ass!"

Austin, trying to get at Taker, was stopped dead in his tracks by the Ministry, but Taker moved them away. Paul Bearer, with his own microphone, put it up to Taker's lips, who offered Austin a proposition.

"Go ahead, Austin, take one swing. But, I must warn you that if you do, you will then be fired on the spot!"

"Whoa!" Cole crowed on commentary, with Austin stopping immediately, however his blazing blue eyes never leaving Taker.

That's when Taker reached over to Stephanie, who was literally passed to her from Bradshaw. Taker laced her fingers with his, as the camera panned down on the black wedding band that both Stephanie and Undertaker wore on their ring fingers.

"Well, look at this, they've got matching wedding bands!"

"As the brand new principal owner of the WWF, Austin, your luck just went from bad to worse, and I'm here to let you know, that within due time, your World Wrestling Federation title will be mine, and that I will promise!"

Austin, stared back at Taker, jawing at him relentlessly, before Taker continued, "Now, since it seems to me like you're in such a willing mood to fight somebody, tonight, you're going to have yourself a match."

The crowd finally began to cheer a little bit, Paul Bearer looking around smiling, still holding the microphone up to Taker. "And that fight will be you, and Ken Shamrock…", and just then Bradshaw, forcefully turned Kenny around, who picked up the ball bat immediately, making a swinging motion towards Bradshaw. Taker, staring at Kenny with fire in his eyes, told him specifically, "Look at me when I'm talking to you boy!"

As the crowed gasped at Taker's bravado, Cornette noted on commentary, "He didn't call him Roy, he called him 'boy.'"

"You and Austin will both be in a match tonight! Any two members of my Ministry, versus you and Austin, tonight!"

As the crowd roared with surprise at Taker's match making skills, Cole on commentary called out, "Austin and Shamrock, both here tonight in a tag team match against the Ministry!"

"Oh, and one more thing, not only will this be a tag team match, but it will be a lumberjack tag team match."

While Paul, Ryan, now referred to as Saphirra, and Viscera all looked around laughing, McMahon, with his hand raised, for the first time in about 10 minutes, finally spoke up.

"Ok, Undertaker, you've got your match. You've made your match, now, if I know you, and the betting man you are, I just ask of you, you don't have to, but I ask of you, to make a little wager with me."

Taker, staring a hole through Vince, while Paul looked on inquisitively, let Vince continue.

"And that little wager would be, if Austin and Shamrock can defeat your two members of Ministry here tonight, then Monday night, live on Raw, it will be you, one on one with … Stone Cold Steve Austin!"

Austin, turning his head to look directly at Vince, seemingly as if Vince had lost his mind, especially volunteering Austin for a match, without Austin's approval, mouthed off to Vince, as he continued with his proposal.

"You and Austin live on Raw Monday Night, and it won't just be for the WWF Championship, if Austin can defeat you, I get regain majority interest of the World Wrestling Federation."

Paul, in near disbelief of what McMahon was asking, shook his head in clear disapproval, telling Taker, "No, don't do it, don't do it!", while the fans in New Haven seemed all for it! Steph, on the other hand, couldn't help but to feel helpless in this entire situation. Vince was placing all his eggs in one basket with Austin yet again! If even the slightest thing went wrong, then all would be potentially lost.

Taker, looking around a bit, was about to give Vince his answer, but then, "No Chance in Hell", was piped in over the loudspeakers in the arena, as the Boy Wonder himself, Shane O'Mac, along with Triple H, Chyna, the Big Boss Man, Pete Gas, and Rodney all followed behind Shane's lead, who had his own microphone in hand!

"Things are getting very interesting, Jim!", Cole remarked, taking in the eclectic energy surrounding them in the arena.

"You bet there are! I mean, look, you couldn't possibly fill anymore people in the ring right now if you greased it up with Crisco, and now, Shane McMahon and the Corporation have all come out! All these combustable elements I'm surprised this place hasn't exploded already!" Cornette comedically remarked.

Shane, about to speak, who was wearing a black "Rock" jersey, with the #1 in front, and a white letter "C" spray painted in front of the "R" in "Rock", was met with a chorus of boos, but the impenetrable "Asshole, Asshole, Asshole!" chant!

Shane, looking around at the crowd in disgust, as Triple H tried to wave off their chants, said, "You know, Undertaker, you seem to talk a pretty good game," he started, yet as he spoke, the crowd kept chanting "Asshole!" at him.

Shane, visibly unnerved, continued to speak over them, however. "You talk a pretty good game for someone's who's supposed to be dead. You want to kidnap my baby sister, you want to marry by baby sister, and lock the Corporation into our dressing room, well how about this then: Vince has already challenged you, how about you accept another offer? How about letting the Corporation get a little piece of that lumberjack action later on tonight?"

The crowd, lightening up to Shane, was in a fury! Not only did they have a main event scheduled for Shamrock and Austin vs two members of the Ministry, but they had lumberjacks, and other potential lumberjacks in the Corporation!

"It doesn't look like it's a good day in the office so far for the new boss," Cornette mocked.

Paul was still telling Taker no, but as Taker looked around the arena, with the fans chanting in unison, wanting the match desperately, he responded, "If that's what you want then …", and after pausing for a moment, looked around and said, "Then yes!"

"Yeah! We're going to have a tag team lumberjack match between Austin, Shamrock, and the Ministry, and the Ministry and the Corporation are going to be the lumberjacks, can you believe that Jim""

"Unbelievable!" Jim said excitedly!

Stephanie, looking every bit of sick, thought she couldn't feel any worse, but then, with Taker's next announcement, she did. "But, Shane, I must inform you that you won't be able to participate in tonight's main event."

Shane, almost grinning ear to ear that he himself didn't have to participate in the match, as the crowd letting out low jeers, mouthed out, "That's fine, that's fine, I don't need to be a lumberjack, got the Corporation right here, baby!"

But little did he know, Taker had a lot more on his mind.

"You won't be a lumberjack," Taker started. "Because you already have a match."

Stephanie, twitching, looked between Vince, Taker, and Shane, as the crowd began to cheer on heavily.

"As a matter of fact, that match is going to be a street fight!" Shane, gulping just like his father would if he was in this situation, looked on with worry in his eye.

"A street fight! Against … against who?", Cole asked hurriedly.

Taker, smiling now, announced, "Against … the Rock!"

"Oh, my God! A street fight between Shane and the Rock tonight?"

Shane, looking as if a federal court judge had just sentenced him to life in prison, began shaking violently, as the members of the Corporation attempted to console him, pointing at Taker and the Ministry, livid!

Suddenly, Bradshaw hauled off and cheap shotted Kenny right in the face, dropping him to the mat instantly. But Kenny, being the skilled technician that he was, quickly regained control, flipping Bradshaw over with his legs, pounding him relentlessly, as he screamed to the top of his lungs, entering his infamous zone of his!

That's when Farooq attacked Austin, and the rest of the Ministry began descending on the Rattlesnake, as well, with Shane sending the Corporation down to the ring, a full on brawl taking place right in the middle of Smackdown!

"The fight is on, the fight is on! Ministry versus the Corporation, Austin versus everybody! It's pandemonium!", Cornette screamed over his headset.

As Taker, Steph, Ryan, Paul, Vince, Pat, and Jerry, all headed for higher ground, inside the ring, Austin delivered a huge right hand to Mideon, knocking him over the top rope, before dropping Viscera with a stunner!

The rest of the Corporation and the Ministry, fought any member of any opposing faction they could get their hands on! Scores of referees then ran down to the ring, while Shane hightailed it to the back, as Taker picked up Stephanie effortlessly, throwing her over the barricade, attempting to get away from all the chaos that had erupted!

As a security guard helped Stephanie over, Vince, attempting to get him a piece of Taker, had his shot blocked, and was decked right in the kisser by a huge right hand from Taker, dropping Vince to the mat below, as he too escaped through the crowd!

Back in the ring, Christian picked up the discarded baseball bat and was about to hit Austin in the head with it, but Austin ducked quickly, and as Christian turned back around, Austin gave him a Stunner, as well, causing the crowd in New Haven to almost blow the roof off the building with commotion!

Austin, the only person left standing in the ring, as bodies lie everywhere, called off the side, as not one, not two, not three, but four Steveweiser's were tossed to him! Austin, climbing to a middle turnbuckle, celebrated kicking ass and taking names, as Smackdown! took its first commercial break!


	19. The Wrath of Saphirra

As Smackdown! came back on air from commercial break, Cole welcomed back the audience at home, with an electric billboard outside the arena displaying "Sold out!", and then the camera, going back inside, panned all over the crowd, before returning to Cole and Cornette at the broadcast booth. "We are live from the sold out New Haven Coliseum, in New Haven, Connecticut, and Jim, what a night it's already been. First, Mr. McMahon made the stunning announcement that the Undertaker is the new principle owner of the WWF, and then Undertaker really went into high gear making some incredible matches for us here tonight, Jim."

"Yeah, and other than the fact that Undertaker, holding his new bride, Stephanie McMahon, hostage, hightailed it out of here after a complete brawl between Austin, Shamrock, the Ministry, and the Corporation broke out, before that, not only did Taker book a match between Austin and Shamrock against two unknown members of the Ministry, with the Corporation and the Ministry both serving as lumberjacks, but our new boss also booked Shane McMahon in a street fight against the Rock! Two high caliber matches, right here on the network return of the WWF tonight!"

Up on the Titantron, fans in the arena began cheering, as the Great One, the Rock, with his travel bag slung over his shoulder, wearing an electrifying $1,000 Versace shirt unbuttoned, was met by announcer, Kevin Kelly, microphone in hand, as he wanted to get an exclusive with the Rock.

Running up besides him, "Rocky, Rock, excuse me, I just want to see if I could get your response to the news that Vince McMahon no longer owns this company, but the Undertaker does."

The Rock, who also had on an expensive pair of sunglasses, turned and looked down on Kelly Kelly, "Is that right?"

Kevin nodded with caution, then the Rock went on to say, "Well you see Kevin Kelly, it really doesn't matter who owns the WWF. It could be Vince McMahon, it can be the Undertaker, it can be the Undertaker's 7 foot tall bearded grand-mammy, it really doesn't matter to the Rock, all that matters is that tonight, the Rock gets his hands on a 200 pound piece of steaming, stinking, monkey crap, and his name is Shane McMahon!"

And as the Rock was walking up, Kevin, pressing his luck even more, asked, "Well, sir…", Rocky turning around quickly looking down on the smaller announcer. "Speaking of Shane McMahon, do you care to know that tin his first act of business tonight, the Undertaker has booked you into a street fight with Shane tonight?"

The fans in the arena, suddenly chanting the Rock's name, "Rocky, Rocky, Rocky!", as the Rock closed his eyes and savored their cheers, told Kevin Kelly, "Do you really think this little street fight that Undertaker booked for the Rock, with his little Mickey Mouse tattoos, scares the Rock?"

"Well, sir, I…"

"It doesn't matter what you think! You see Kevin Kelly, the fact of the matter is this, Street Fight, Cage match, Slap Shane Right on His Corporate Ass Straight from Birth Match, it just doesn't matter, because you see Kevin Kelly, the Rock hasn't forgotten about how Shane cost the Rock the WWF title at Backlash, the Rock has not forgotten how Shane and his little jabroni friends jumped the Rock just last night, not once, but twice, but see tonight Kevin Kelly, the Rock guaran-damn-tees you this: Shane won't walk out … of Smackdown!"

And with that, the Rock trucked off, leaving Kevin Kelly to simply look on.

* * *

><p>As the Val Venis, Owen Hart match wrapped up, Stephanie, who looked to be alone in an office that would usually be reserved for Vince, had a lot on her mind. First, she thought about Shane. Even though Shane had competed in a couple of matches, even having one with the Rock last night, if it hadn't been for the help of the Corporation, the Rock would have dismantled Shane. Truth be told, Shane wasn't ready for the likes of the Rock, especially in a street fight, and the only person she could blame for all this was herself! She heard Paul and Mark's plans, but instead of doing something about it, she and Mark … she didn't even want to think about that. The Rock, especially after losing his title to Austin at Backlash due to Shane's interference, had already been jumped by the Corporation twice, and Stephanie was just besides herself because she knew that the Rock was going to do everything in his power to make sure her brother ended up in the nearest emergency room.<p>

Then, her dad, with what Austin had already said to him tonight, why would Vince intrust both Austin and Shamrock to win their match tonight just in order for Vince to try to regain control of the WWF on Monday night? While the idea sounded great on paper, and Austin was a tough SOB, and Shamrock was a hell of a competitor himself, he and Shamrock hated each other, they didn't have the chemistry that established tag teams had, and Mark could pick any two members of the Ministry, including the Brood, the Acolytes, even Mideon and Viscera, who had all tagged together on numerous occasions, to battle them tonight. Put shortly, the Ministry knew the psychology of a good sound tag team match and the strategy that came along with it; Austin and Shamrock did not.

Then, as Stephanie twisted away at her fingers while sitting down on the couch, Tori, whom Stephanie had actually become close with over the last few months, knocked on the door, and eventually entered, looking just as worried for Steph as everyone was.

"Hey, Steph", a demure looking Tori greeted, looking around for Taker. Steph, realizing that everyone, even the divas were frightened of Mark, decided to keep the conversation short. "Hey, Tor."

Tori, looking around again, said, "Listen, I saw what happened to you on Monday night, and the whole Backlash thing, and I just wanted to see how you're doing."

Steph, wanting to lie badly, just couldn't. She was a nervous wreck. With all this stress that Mark had been putting her through, she was surprised that her hair hadn't turned stone white yet. "Tor, I wish I could lie to you, but I really can't, I'm miserable. I mean, all this stuff going on with my dad and…"

Before Steph could finish her sentence, Tori reached out and touched Stephanie's neck, which had two nice size bruises on them. "Steph, your neck." Stephanie, turning around to look in the mirror that was on the wall, brushing her hair back, knew exactly what they were, and from the look on Tori's face behind her, she could tell they were not on the same page about them, either. But how was Stephanie to explain that they were actually hickeys?

Steph, turning around, attempting to smile and regain some sort of composure, tried her best to sound cheerful when she said, "Oh, no, it's nothing, honestly, it's just…"

"He hasn't _hurt_ you, has he?", the concern in Tori's voice sickening. Everyone knew that Mark was an evil bastard, but deep down inside, Tori only hoped he had enough decency not to put his hands on a woman.

Steph, stammering over her words, looking like a baby deer caught in head lights, responded, "No, no, no, he hasn't hurt me. It's really just…"

Stephanie was interrupted again, this time by the newly named Sapphira, who looked enraged at the mere sight of Tori in Stephanie's office. "What are you doing in here?", pointing a lonely finger in the face of Tori, and then, turning to Stephanie, grabbing her arm, "Did our master give you permission to have visitors?"

Tori, turning Sapphira around forcefully, then said, "Wait, hold up, _master_? Ryan, I think you need to chill, you know?"

As soon as Saphirra her heard her former name, she positively blew a gasket! Getting up in Tori's face, Saphirra screamed in Tori's face, "My name is not Ryan, my name is Sapphira!"

Tori, looking clearly unimpressed and thinking that Ryan, having been turned down by one too many guys, needed to take her meds, responded saying, "Yeah, dude, whatever. Can you just take it down a notch?"

Saphirra, looking absolutely mad, then began laughing, and began twisting her index finger around Tori's blonde hair. Suddenly speaking in a baby voice, Saphirra said, "Aww. I think somewone needsh a wesson in wespect," and then, grabbing Tori by a handful of hair, pulling her down to the ground as she did such, while Stephanie looked on frighteningly from the corner, Saphirra, nose to nose with Tori spat, "And I'm just the one to give it to you!" And with that, she pushed Tori's head to the bottom of the couch, a notable thump being heard as she did it, then heading to the door, Saphirra turned around and said, "Meet me in the ring, bitch!" And with that, Saphirra stormed out, leaving both Stephanie and Tori shocked and confused about what had just happened!

* * *

><p>Back in the arena, Saphirra, without the use of entrance music, made her way to the ring, but as Tony Chimel was introducing her, he made a crucial error, causing Saphirra to stop dead in her tracks on the entrance ramp.<p>

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall. Making her way down the aisle, from the Ministry of Darkness, from San Diego, California, Ryan Shamrock!" Ryan, who simply blinked for a moment before heading into the ring, then grabbed the microphone from Chimel, professing to world once again, "My name is not Ryan!", then looking around like she was paranoid, continued, "My name is Saphirra!" Then, Saphirra shoved the microphone back to Chimel so hard, he staggered a bit.

As Saphirra paced around the ring, waiting for Tori, she didn't have to wait long, because when the diva's music hit, Chimel didn't even have time to announce her, because Tori, who wasn't even dressed for a match, still wearing her street clothes, a black halter top, black leather pants, and black boots, furious that Ryan had attacked her in Stephanie's office, rushed to the ring, forcing Chimel out of it. But as soon as Tori slid under the bottom rope, Saphirra began stomping away at her head and back.

"Michael, has this psycho even had any in ring experience, before?", Cornette wondered, as Saphirra continued to stomp away at Tori. "I mean, Ryan, now going as Sapphire, or however the hell you pronounce it, she attacked Tori in Stephanie's office, while Tori was just checking up on Stephanie!"

"I believe this is her first official match, yes it is.", Cole noted.

"I mean, Michael, look at her," Cornette said, sounding as every bit of confused as everyone else was about this new, Ryan Shamrock, who had the upper hand with Tori inside the ring, whipping her into the ring post, and running at her full speed, before Tori could kick up a boot, hitting Saphirra right in the kisser. "First, she chased Val Venis, Billy Gunn mooned her at one point, then she was with Goldust, and I think Blue Meanie, now is she with the Undertaker? I mean, why haven't I got a turn at the human Russian Roulette table? I'm still a healthy young stud myself you know, Michael."

"Yeah, I can only imagine Jim," Cole said sarcastically, continuing to call the match, as Tori, who had gained the momentum, gave Saphirra a running bulldog, covering her, but only got to the count of two. "But I'm with you Jim, this new Ryan Shamrock, coming out here and saying she didn't care about her own brother, slapping him, then changing her name, her entire look, since she was abducted by the hands of the Undertaker and the Ministry, has gone under a complete metamorphosis."

"How you'd like to be strapped to the Undertaker's symbol?" Cornette asked comically. "No, I think I'll pass," Cole said, as Saphirra, who was now and outside the ring, ducked out of the way of Tori's baseball slide. Saphirra, taking advantage, then twisted Tori around and threw her shoulder first into the steel ring post on the outside! Holding her shoulder, kicking from the pain, Saphirra then stomped Tori's injured arm, before rolling her back into the ring. Tori, who still had some fight in her, albeit holding her arm, got kicked in the stomach, and Saphirra, securely fastening Tori, delivered a vicious and swift DDT, the top of Tori's head bouncing onto the mat, the referee counting Tori out, as Saphirra, the new and improved Ryan, was declared the winner.

"Here is your winner, Ry-Saphirra!", Chimel announced from the outside.

But as Tori wasn't moving in the ring, the ref called for help to get Tori out of the ring, and several officials, including Sgt. Slaughter, came down to help Tori get back on her feet, who had suffered a really bad stinger. Ryan, who was in the corner laughing, as the officials were helping Tori out of the ring, ran into the turnbuckle and slid under the bottom ring rope, dropkicking Tori in the back, causing her to land straight on her face onto the mat outside! The refs and officials telling "Ryan" to leave Tori alone, all ran a bit when Saphirra jumped out the ring, pointing up the aisle-way, telling her to leave, Saphirra backed up the ramp laughing uncontrollably, as Tori had to be physically helped to the back.


	20. Taker's Revenge

As tag team partners, Billy Gunn and Road Dogg had to be restrained from one another by Sgt. Slaughter, Earl Hebner, and other officials, after their loss to Kane and X-Pac, back in the arena, Vince, walking down a crowded hallway, with Pat and Jerry behind him, was discussing how he could get the gain control over the company again after Taker's hostile takeover.

"Vince, I think if you give him the right amount…", Pat started, until the threesome came across Vince's son, Shane, who, along with Triple H and the Big Boss Man, was walking in the same direction and Vince and company.

Vince, looking at his Shane now, could barely even recognize him. The power trip that Shane had gone on, snatching away the Corporation from Vince, along with the daily aspects of the company, had been massive, and it literally split their family in half, especially when Vince remembered how Shane placed other priorities over his own flesh and blood, Stephanie.

But now, neither one of them had control over the World Wrestling Federation, and that spoke volumes to Vince, who lived by the mantra of a family that prays together stays together. This family, however, needed to do a lot of praying.

Shane, returning the stare his father was giving him, made the first move to speak.

"Look, Vinc…Dad…tonight is different, ok? Tonight is the night that we all try to not only get the company back, but get Stephanie back, too."

The crowd cheering a bit, were just as surprised as Vince was, although Pat and Jerry didn't look too trusting of Shane. Shane had fire both of in front of the entire world, and to them, any son who would go as far as to slap his own father on live television was no son at all.

Shane, who looked to be gearing up for his match against Rocky, had his shoulders slapped by Boss Man and Triple H. Vince, not knowing really what to think, or what to believe for that matter, simply said to Shane in response, "Well, it's good that you've finally come around, and um … good luck with your match out there tonight."

And with that, Vince walked away, with Pat and Jerry trailing behind him, as the Corporation turned their heads slightly to see the trio walk off, Shane's face unreadable.

* * *

><p>As Stephanie still sat on the couch, wringing her fingers, scared and worried to no end, Saphirra stood beside her, looking up at Taker, who was with Paul Bearer, as he was putting on his signature black gloves. Taker, who had his hood down, had his silky black hair fall about his face. With one sweeping motion, Taker stood up, took his robe off, and laid it down on the couch, while Paul, smirked fiendishly, rubbing his hands together uncontrollably.<p>

Looking over at Stephanie, then Saphirra, Taker instructed, "Make sure she does not leave this room."

Ryan, silently nodding, then looking down at Stephanie, watched as her master opened the door leaving the office, Paul walking mischievously behind him. Outside, the cameras caught the rest of the Ministry walking behind them, as well.

"It's the Ministry! It's the Ministry! Where the hell are they going?", Cole asked away wildly.

"I don't know! Are they coming out here?" Cornette questioned, as Smackdown! went to another commercial break.

* * *

><p><em>"No chance, that's what you got…"<em>

Cole, welcoming the audience back at home, opened again, "We are back live ladies and gentlemen from the sold out New Haven Coliseum, in New Haven, Connecticut, and here comes Shane McMahon."

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall and it is a street fight! Making his way down to the ring, he weighs in at 240 lbs., from Greenwich, Connecticut, Shane McMahon!"

Shane, sporting a "''C'Rock #2" jersey know, having spray painted over the #1 out, was puffing air out of his mouth, throwing air jabs, was mentally trying to prepare himself for this match. Shane knew that he was in for the fight of his young life, but in his mind, the Rock had to be taught a lesson: don't cross the boss.

"And there's Shane, Jim, and it looks to me like he's going into this street fight with the Rock by himself, because the rest of the Corporation is nowhere to be found.", Cole observed.

"Yeah, it appears that way, but just last night," Jim said, as a recap of Shane vs. the Rock on Monday Night Raw appeared on the Titantron, showing the Rock having full control of Shane, until the Corporation came in and interfered in the match.

"The Rock had everything going his way," Cornette explained. "He was taking Shane to the woodshed, but out of nowhere, the Corporation stuck their noses into the match, assaulting Rocky, costing Shane the match!"

As Shane paced around the ring, jumping from side to side, Cole on broadcast said, "And Shane is waiting…"

While everyone was excitedly anticipating the arrival of the Rock, a shot of Vince, Pat, and Jerry, in a dressing room came up on the Titantron. Bewildered, Shane looked to the referee, then watched on, while Cole and Cornette confused, as well, talked amongst themselves at the broadcast table.

"Vince, how you coming along?" Jerry asked, patting Vince's back, who was sitting down in a metal folding chair inside the locker room.

Vince, who was rubbing his temples, looked almost to the point of defeat, but suddenly realizing that Jerry was speaking to him, snapped back into things. "I'm fine, Jerry, I'm fine. Hey, why don't you guys go get you some coffee or something, huh?"

Pat, who probably knew Vince better than anyone, could tell his best friend was lying about being fine. How could he be after all what Taker and the Ministry had put them through? Nonetheless asked, Pat asked again, "You sure, Vince? You want us to bring you back a cup or something?"

Vince, waving them off said, "No, no, you two go on ahead, I'll be fine."

"Well, ok then, Vince," Pat said to him, and with that the two men left out of the dressing room.

"What is going on here, Jim?" Cole asked mysteriously. Shane up in the ring, was confused as everyone else was, but continued to look on.

"I don't know, seems like Vince, Patterson, and Briscoe were talking about something …"

Cornette was about to finish his sentence, when the Ministry, lead by Taker, entered Vince's locker room! All of them were there, Farooq, Bradshaw, Gangrel, Christian, Edge, Viscera, Mideon, along with Paul Bearer. It was at this moment that everyone in the arena knew that something was about to go deadly wrong.

Vince, coming to his feet, shocked by the Ministry's presence, began backing away from the men, holding up his hands, appearing to want to rationalize with the men. However, once Paul let out an evil cackle, the entire Ministry began away pounding on Vince!

Getting beaten into the ground, stomped by boot after boot, Vince tried to cover up as best as possible, but as he did such, someone stepped on his right shoulder, popping it out of place instantly, McMahon writhing in pain, as Shane stood in the middle of the ring, shaking the referee, demanding him to go do something!

Back in the locker room, Mideon held McMahon by both arms, completely doing even more damage to Vince's separated shoulder, while Taker, taking advantage of the situation, hauled off clean shots to Vince's head, face, neck, abdomen, before started stomping him down in one of the locker stalls!

As officials tried gaining entrance into the locker room, trying desperately to save Vince, Viscera courted off the door with his massive body, not allowing any of them to gain entrance!

As Gangrel grabbed him by the shirt pulling him up, Vince, in la la land, walked up to every member of the Ministry, who were all gathered in a circle again, each one of them striking Vince in the face, before Taker's big right knocked Vince back to the ground again!

Holding his right arm on the ground, moaning in agony, Taker gave his minions the signal to pick Vince up yet again, and as soon as they got Vince to his feet, Taker, who had folded the metal folding chair that Vince was once sitting in, slammed it down hard on Vince's skull, causing him to gush blood from the immediate impact!

But Taker wasn't through just yet. Bending down to pick Vince up himself by his shirt and pants, Vince, bleeding profusely, while Cole and Cornette screamed on their headsets, pleading that enough was enough, Vince, spun around twice by Taker, was then hurled shoulder and head first into one of the wooden stalls in the locker room!

"Oh my God, oh my God! What have they done to Mr. McMahon?" Cole screamed and shouted out in the arena.

As Viscera finally got off the door, the damage clearly done to Vince, the officials rushed inside the locker room, attempting to get the Ministry out of there, but Taker, grabbing one of the refs by the back of the head, threw him into a wall, as well! Sgt. Slaughter, Dr. Francois Petit, Pat, Jerry, and herds of other officials tried to calm Taker and the Ministry down, as well, holding their arms up, begging the Ministry to stop, but Taker simply jumped at a few, causing them all to scatter!

"Vince is hurt, and Vince is hurt bad," Cornette said almost lifeless on headset, completely speechless about what they had just witnessed.

Cole, infuriated, shouted, "This, this is just sickening! Taker and Ministry, an all out assault of Vince McMahon! What a sick, sick human being!"

"He assaulted his own father in law, Michael! That's just…I mean, I can't even…"

As the Ministry left the locker room, the camera picked up a chilling shot of Vince lying on the ground motionless, blood pouring of his head profusely, clearly unconscious!

"Call an ambulance!" someone shouted from the locker room, clearly in panic. The Ministry tried to all but dismantle Vince McMahon, and they may have succeeded.

Shane, after watching his father get assaulted all to hell, having seen entirely too much, jumped out of the ring and was making his way back into the locker room area, but was stopped dead in his racks when the sounds of "IF YOU SMELL … WHAT THE ROCK … IS COOKING?" filled the arena, the Brahma Bull himself, the Rock, with a full head of steam, made a beeline for Shane O'Mac, running him over with a wicked clothesline, knocking Shane back first onto the steel ramp way!

The fight was on!


	21. Laying the Smacketh Down!

As the Rock knocked Shane down the ramp with a vile right hand, "The Boy Wonder", trying his best to put some distance between he and "The Great One", held his hands up in the air, begging for leniency, but the Rock, mad with rage, after Shane cost him the WWF title at Backlash, and then orchestrated the Corporation jumping him twice just 24 hours prior on Raw, was in a foul, foul mood.

Cole and Cornette, still sick to their stomach about the assault on Vince by the Ministry, were literally trying to keep an eye out for this match, and also keep the fans updated on Vince, who looked to be in a world of hurt after the Ministry did a complete number on him.

Shane, a few feet from the ring, attempting to crawl away, was grabbed by the Rock, and was planted face first into the steel ring steps! Shane, knocked motionless on the ground, was then picked up and thrown into the steal ring post!

The fans, chanting the Rock's name, finally glad that someone was finally sticking it to Shane, who had been riding a non-stop ego-maniac train in the past few weeks, cheered on as the Rock delivered a stiff kick to Shane's abdomen, Shane letting out a loud and audible grown as the toe of Rocky's boot connected with his stomach.

The Rock, the 26-year old Brahma Bull, then picked Shane up as if he weighed nothing, then dropped him chest first into the guard-rail, as Shane held his chest on the mat below in agonizing pain, as the Rock put the boots to Shane back and head.

The referee, attempting to get both men in the ring in order for the match to officially begin, screamed at the Rock to take the match inside, but the Rock twisted his hand backwards, threatening to hit the ref, who scattered away from the People's Champ.

The Rock then picked Shane up from outside on the mat and threw him inside the ring, with the referee calling for the bell to ring, the match officially under way.

The Rock, who kept stomping away at Shane, allowed him to get a brief reprieve. Shane, once again, on his hands and knees, begged for mercy, but the Rock, looking around at the crowd, had other things in mind.

Shane, the opportunist that he was, taking advantage of the situation, used a forearm to nail the Rock right in the People's Jewels!

Shane, buying himself some time, as the Rock fell to his knees in pain, then pulled himself up by the referee's shirt, before pounding away at the Rock, giving the Rock four straight shots to the face.

Pulling the Rock back up to his feet, in a move to clearly mock him, Shane took his hand out all the way to the people before bringing it back down on Rocky's face, knocking him back down o the mat, similar to what the Rock would have done!

Going outside quickly, Shane went to the timekeeper's table, forcing him to give up his steel chair, as the crowd, sensing what he was about to do, gave a mix of cheers and jeers for Shane O'Mac.

Reentering the ring, Shane, folding up the chair, ran at high speed towards the Rock, who was attempting to pull himself up at the turnbuckle, but the Rock got his feet up just in time before the chair met his skull, which ended up hitting Shane in the head instead!

Dazed, the Rock, then picked up the chair, and walking around Shane with it for a moment, who was on his knees again, hit Shane right in the spine with the steel chair, not once, not twice, but three times, bending the chair in half from the impact!

The Rock quickly covered Shane, but Shane surprised all when he kicked out at 2!

The Rock continued to stomp away at Shane for a moment, then, picking him back up, threw Shane shoulder first into the middle turnbuckle, causing Shane O'Mac to slowly fall out of the ring in pain.

The Rock, who had recovered the chair shot, stalked Shane on the outside, and then when Shane had his head right between the steel steps, the Rock swung wildly with the chair, but Shane, on instinct alone, moved out of the way just in the knick of time, obviously wanting to maim Vince's only son.

The Rock, discarding the chair again, then went to Shane and tried grabbing Shane by his legs, but Shane, regaining his strength, from somewhere, used the power in his legs to push the Rock off him, the Rock's back hitting the steal steps as he fell backwards.

Shane, having regained some of his strength now, then began kicking the Rock down between the mat and the steel steps, with Shane asking arrogantly, "How do you like that, Rock?! How do you like that, huh?!"

Going under the ring again, Shane pulled out a fire extinguisher!

Not even attempting to use the inside containments on the Rock, Shane picked up the container itself and tried to bash the Rock's skull in with it, but the Rock gave Shane a right hand to the gut, forcing him to drop it.

The Rock, then pulled Shane up once more, and threw him into the barricade, right besides the announce booth where Michael Cole and Jim Cornette were sitting at.

Walking over to Cole and snatching off his headset, the Rock started to do a little commentary on his on.

"While we're a little low in the action, the Rock decided to once again grace the people with the Rock's Commentary, because the Rock is the best damn sports entertainer today! Look at this Jabroni."

Cornette, speaking to the Rock, asked him, "Rock don't you think you should stay on Shane?"

"Don't you think you should know your role and shut your mouth? The Rock will continue beating Shane McMahon's monkey ass when the Rock feels like it. I'm going to take this boot, twist it sideways, and stick it straight up his candy ass! As a matter of fact … here Jabroni, you can have your headset back now."

Tossing the headset back to Michael Cole, the Rock continued to hammer away on Shane, who was attempting to make it back to his feet.

Slamming Shane's head down on the guardrail, the Great One then tossed Shane over right into the crowd, the security desperately trying to keep the screaming and excited fans away from Shane and Rocky.

As the two and the referee made their way up the arena steps, the Rock continued to bash away at Shane, who was doing everything he could to get away from the Rock.

Battling through the crowd, as they made their way into the concession area of the arena, as several fans had to be separated from the superstars by security, the Rock, who was about to throw Shane head first into a vending machine, was chopped blocked from behind by the nightstick of Big Boss Man!

Boss Man, twirling his signature baton around between his fingers, as the Rock was trying to regain his footing, hit Rocky across the head with it, pulling an almost breathless Shane over the Rock, yelling for the ref to count! As the ref hit the floor twice, he only got a 2-count!

Although Rocky was down, he was not out!

Being helped back up to his feet by the Boss Man, Shane then began to stomp away at the Brahma Bull, before Shane began wailing away at Rocky on the floor!

Shane, pulling the Rock back to his feet, then threw Rocky face first into a vending machine, as the fans around them, getting an up close and personal look at the action, shouted away near by. Covering Rocky again, Shane only got a 2-count once more. Rocky would not give up that easily.

Picking the Rock up by his head, Shane then began to pound away at the Rock once again, as he lie flat on his back, taking all the punishment Shane was dishing out.

Shane, pulling the Rock back up with him, was looking around for something to finish the Rock off with, but with another surge of adrenaline, Rocky gave Shane three quick licks to the face in succession, but once again, the Bossman interfered, throwing two big forearms to the back of the Rock's head, knocking him down.

The Bossman, then kicking the Rock in the side, as Shane tried to recuperate by the concession stand, then began taunting the Rock, holding his arms up, as the fans behind him cheered. Bossman, turning his head for a moment, savoring the butt-whipping he was giving the Rock, was then hit in the groin from a huge forearm of the Rock, dropping the enforcer instantly!

Attempting to walk over to Shane to finish him off once and for all, Rocky was stopped from behind by Bossman, who hit Rocky square in the stomach with his baton! Standing back on his own feet now, although his genitals were writhing in pain, Bossman attempted to swing the nightstick at Rocky's head, but he missed, and as he turned around from the swing, Rocky clasped a long strong right arm around Bossman's throat, hoisted him up in the air, and delivered a Rock Bottom onto the concrete floor!

The Rock, looking down at the fallen Bossman, didn't notice that from the side Shane had made his way back up, and with two big forearms of his own, attacked the Rock from the side, knocking him down to the ground.

As Shane grabbed the Rock and tossed him back down the flight of stairs from which they came, walking back into the arena, Shane took a bucket of popcorn from a fan and hit the Rock over the head with it as he was getting back up, causing the Rock to tumble down the stairs even more!

As they made their way back down to ringside once again, Shane, knocked the Rock over the barricade by delivering a clean clothesline to the back of Rock's neck and back. Going back over to the far left side of the ring, Shane went over to the timekeepers table again, this time taking the ring bell, and hit the Rock square between the eyes with it as Rocky was attempting to regain his footing, a clear ding being heard to everyone near the fighting!

Shane, sensing he was about to get the victory over the Rock, covered him on the outside, but just like before, only got a two count, after Rock, still showing life in him, lifted his right shoulder off of the matted floor!

Shane, who couldn't believe that the Rock had once again escaped, then grabbed the referee by the shirt, screaming at him, "Count him out! Count him out! Do you know who I am?"

With his temper getting the absolute best of him, Shane pushed the referee flat on his backside, furious that he didn't have the win yet over the Rock. The referee, who wasn't about to be pushed around, jumped right back up and got in Shane's face, holding up the WWF stitching in his shirt, reminding Shane just who was _the_ officiator in this particular matchup!

Shane, furious that he was being disrespected, reached back with his right hand and attempted to slap the referee, but the Rock, fatigued and abused, caught Shane's hand, spun him around and began to deliver scintillating rights to Shane's face, with one huge shot for good measure, causing Shane to fall one knee to the floor disoriented! Then, Rocky, extracting a little revenge of his own, picked up the bell from off the ground and clocked Shane with it, as well, knocking him to the ground finally!

The crowd, chanting wildly for the Rock now, was sensing victory themselves, but instead of the Rock going for the cover, he turned his head to the announce booth that Cole and Cornette were sitting at.

Going over to the table and taking off the black WWF covering, then throwing both monitors onto the ground, the Rock bent down to throw the lifeless Shane onto the announcers table.

Everyone was feeling what the Rock was about to do, but the Bossman, a very tough SOB in his own right, who had seemingly recuperated from being Rock Bottomed onto the concrete floor in the concession area, was right behind the Rock again, nightstick in hand!

About to hit "The People's Champion" with the foreign object one more time, the Rock, having a sixth sense, ducked the shot, causing Bossman to spin around from the velocity of the would be shot.

Turning Bossman back around, Rocky kicked him ferociously in the stomach, causing him to drop him to nightstick, as Rocky planted Bossman once and for all on the padded floor with a thunderous DDT.

The crowd in a frenzy now, going wild with anticipation, started cheering when the Rock climbed on top of the table, pulling Shane up by his "C"rock jersey. Putting his arm around the chest of Shane, the Rock, looking around for a moment, tasting a victory, dropped Shane as soon as he lifted him, Rock Bottoming "The Boy Wonder" smack dab through the announcers table, causing the table to buckle and collapse under the weight of the both men crashing through it!

The Rock, hurting himself a bit by delivering the finishing maneuver, while Cole on headset screamed, "Oh, my God, oh my God, Rock Botton through the table, Rock Bottom through the table," covered Shane for the pin, as the ref counted Shane out!

The crowd roared with cheers, as Tony Chimel announced, "Here is your winner, the Rock!"

The Rock, bloodied and bruised, had to be helped up by the ref, but as soon as he was up, surveying his damage, the Rock, yanking his hand away from the official rolled back into the ring, while his theme song played throughout all over the arena, climbed the turnbuckle, and threw his arm up in the air, as he had just gone through and survived a war!

As the Rock continued to celebrate in the ring, the ref, going back over to Shane, who was not moving, as Bossman managed to crawl to Shane, signaled for help, because just like his father, Shane, with a small gush of blood leaking from the top of his forehead, was hurt, and was hurt badly.

In the dark recesses of the building, the Undertaker, with Paul Bearer right beside him, smiling, laughing silently, nodding his head up and down, along with the rest of the Ministry, watched on a monitor, as several referees, officials, and AMR personnel, came down to the ring to attend to Shane, who was still lying motionless on the ruble that used to be the announcer's table.

Taker, never taking his eyes off the monitor, spoke to his Ministry. "Time for Phase Three. Come on."

And with that, Smackdown! went to another commercial break.


	22. The Rattlesnake Strikes

Back from commercial break, Michael Cole somberly addressed the fans at home, while a video showing Shane being lifted onto a stretcher and being escorted to the back by paramedics and WWF officials, played on-screen.

"We're back live here, folks, and if you're just joining us, the Undertaker, the new principal owner of the WWF, well he booked a match, but not just any match, but a street fight, Jim, between the Rock and Shane McMahon," Cole stated.

Cornette, agreeing explained, as footage rolled of the Rock and Shane brawling, played for the audience at home. "And a match it was, Michael. The Rock and Shane battled all the way through the crowd and back, but Rocky, hellbent of destroying Shane McMahon, Rock Bottomed him right through our announce table! Michael, I've never ever seen anything quite like that before, and the look in the Rock's eyes, even with Bossman's interference, you knew the Rock meant serious business."

Cole, selling the fact that Shane was hurt badly, queued a replay of the actual Rock Bottom itself, describing the sound as a "car wreck"! Continuing Cole said, "And during the commercial break, Shane, unresponsive, as a result of that Rock Bottom, had to be transported to a local medical facility. We hope to have an update on Shane's condition this coming Monday on Raw."

Jim, siting next to Cole, without the use of announce table, then went on to say, "Also, keep in mind Michael Cole, Shane isn't the only McMahon in the hospital tonight. Right before Shane's match with the Rock, a video appeared on the Titantron of Vince getting the holy hell kicked out of him by the Ministry, resulting in Vince having to be shipped to the hospital, as well, both McMahon's, the worse for wear seemingly, but whether we like it or not, the Undertaker has succeeded in taking out both Shane and Vince McMahon, for who knows how long?"

As the bell rang twice, Tony Chimel in the ring, began "The following contest is scheduled for one fall and is the tag team Lumberjack Match!"

Once again, "No Chance in Hell" began playing throughout the arena, but of course, Shane couldn't escort the Corporation to the ring. Instead Triple H, Chyna, Pete Gas, and Rodney, of the Mean Street Posse, and a battered Big Boss Man, who was holding his neck, all made their way down to the ring, spreading out around it, preparing for the Lumberjack Match.

After the Corporation settled, Ken Shamrock's music hit, and "The World's Most Dangerous Man", carrying another baseball bat, made his way down to the ring.

Entering the ring and looking around, Triple H, toying with Shamrock, jumped up on the apron, but Shamrock swung wildly, forcing the blonde superstar back down to the floor.

Then, the whole arena felt like it was cracking at its very foundation, at the pop Stone Cold Steve Austin received when the glass broke was almost equal in doing such!

Austin, marching to the ring with his personal property, the Smoking Skull belt, entered the ring with a purpose, climbing on top of the ring post, then looking down, gave the middle finger to Triple H!

After he saluted the crowd from all four posts, Austin taking his vest off, got into a small verbal shouting match with Shamrock, but as the belled tolled once, Taker's demonic incantations were dispersed across the arena. As the aren went dark, both Shamrock and Austin's attentions fell solely to top of the stage.

The Ministry, the Brood, the Acolytes, Mideon and Viscera, all made their way down to the ring, while the Undertaker and Stephanie, who Taker had drug back out into the arena again, followed directly behind, sitting on the stage in what now appeared to be his and her Undertaker symbol thrones.

From behind, Paul Bearer flanked Taker in his seat, while Saphirra did the same thing to Stephanie, as well. Stephanie, however, looked downright nauseous.

Because Mark had Ryan, Saphirra, or whatever her new name was, literally watch over her all evening long, she wasn't able to execute any of her plans, like trying to talk Vince.

Even when Saphirra went out to her match, Stephanie muscled up the courage to peep her head outside the office, only for Bradshaw and Farooq, who were guarding it, to order her back inside.

There wasn't any kind of monitor in the office, either, so she didn't know what was going on with the show. All she knew is she hadn't seen Vince nor Shane in almost two hours, and she was worried beyond belief worried.

As Stephanie sat in that thrown, which was closer to the Stage than Mark's, she tried looking around for Shane, and even though she was far up, she still had a pretty good view of the action.

_Where is he? Had he won his street fight with Rocky?"_

Although Stephanie highly doubted this, no matter how horrible Shane had been to her for the last couple of weeks, there was something deep down inside of her that made her root for her brother.

As the bell sounded, the two members of the Ministry, who had also spread out around the ring, still hadn't revealed themselves.

Austin and Shamrock, who were surrounded by the enemy, even if the enemy didn't like each other, knew that if they let the Ministry and the Corporation have their way, they'd be carried out instead of walking out.

Stepping up for the Ministry, Bradshaw climbed up on the rope in front of Austin, and then Farooq pulled up on the other rope which was facing Shamrock. The two men immediately engaged in a fist fight with the brawler and the grappler, but were immediately tossed back outside, to where the Corporation looked to start stomping them, had they not had the help of their Ministry brethren.

As Shamrock and Austin, back to back, circle around each other, Smackdown! took its final commercial break.

"We are back live everyone, thank you for tuning in to the network return of the WWF and debut of Smackdown!"

As soon as Cole greeted the fans at home, Shamrock hiked a knee up, hitt Farooq square in the stomach, who was coming off the ropes at high speed. Shamrock then mounted Farooq, hitting him over and over with his well-educated fists, as Farooq attempted to cover up.

"If you're just joining us, what a roller-coaster it's already been. First the shocker from Mr. McMahon, the Undertaker is the new principal owner of the WWF, the Rock and Shane McMahon faced in a street fight, Shane eventually losing and having been escorted to a medical facility for injuries after a Rock Bottom through our announce table at ringside, Mr. McMahon, also the victim of an all-out assault by the Ministry, and now a tag team lumberjack match, the Ministry and Corporation outside," Michael summed up.

Cornette then chimed in, "Just when I thought this night couldn't get even crazier, I mean, here it is. The Undertaker and Stephanie are at the top of the stage staring down at us, Undertaker still has poor Stephanie hostage — and Michael, Michael, look at this!"

Shamrock, after taking a beating from both Farooq and Bradshaw, after Bradshaw had clubbed him in the back of the back with a heavy forearm, was thrown outside the ring, where the Mean Street Posse, Test, and the Brood all kicked and stomping away at him, however, the Rattlesnake, attempting to save his tag partner, ran around the corner and gave Pete Gas a hard clothesline!

Stomping at Gas on the ground, before any member of the Corporation or Ministry could get to Austin, he backed away to his end of the ring, throwing up a bird for good measure!

With so much going on and the referee distracted, Bradshaw and Farooq, who made a blind tag, doubled team Shamrock for a moment, with Bradshaw dropping a heavy knee to Shamrock's groin.

Austin then tried to get in and help Shamrock out, but the ref stopped Austin mid-stride, and Bradshaw, who threw Shamrock to the middle rope, sternum first, ran behind him with full speed, dropping his entire weight onto Shamrock's back.

Blatantly choking Shamrock with the middle ring rope, the ref counted to four, forcing Bradshaw to relinquish the hold, but as the ref was distracted again, urging Bradshaw to stop playing dirty, Edge came around and began choking Shamrock through the rope, as well, letting go of the hold just in time not to get caught by the ref.

The fans in unison began chanting for Austin, as Kenny desperately needed a tag. Bradshaw made a tag to Farooq, who immediately came in and started pounding away at "The World's Most Dangerous Man" again. Throwing Shamrock to the ropes, Shamrock ducked underneath Farooq's boot to the face, returning with a belly to belly suplex!

With both Shamrock and Farooq down on the mat, Austin extended his arm desperately trying to get a tag, while the fans continued to scream "Austin, Austin, Austin, Austin!" Shamrock, able to make it to his feet at the ref's count of 8, was grabbed by the leg of Farooq, but instead of pulling him back, Shamrock reached down deep and delivered a shot straight to Farooq's temple with an Enziguri, knocking Farooq straight back, the Ministry member seeing the lights above as a result.

Jumping, Shamrock finally tagged in Austin!

As Austin entered the ring, hot and ready to whip anybody's ass, in came Bradshaw from the opposing corner, but he got hit in the face with big right hands, forcing him back into the turnbuckle.

Austin then began to stomp a mud hole in the big Texan. Sensing that Farooq was coming to, Austin delivered rights to Bradshaw's tag team partner, as well, punching him down into the bottom turnbuckle, before he began stomping him down, as well, with the crowd going absolutely ballistic!

Viscera then got up on the ropes in an attempt to distract Austin, but Austin swung and knocked the big man down, with his girth and weight completely obliterating Rodney, who was standing behind him.

Chyna, who was wearing a leather top that exposed her cleavage, black leather chaps with sheer backing, and boots, then ran over and pushed Viscera. That's when Gangrel turned Chyna around, but she gave him a big forearm to the face instead!

When Viscera turned his head around smiling at Chyna and began stalking her a bit, Triple H from out of nowhere planted Viscera with a forearm to the back of the head, and in one swift motion, the lumberjacks were all fighting, Corporation vs. Ministry!

As Stone Cold was distracted with Viscera, Bradshaw, who had made his way back up, turned Austin around, but Austin gave him a Stunner!

Covering Bradshaw, the ref counted 1, 2, but Mideon pulled the ref out the ring just before the 3!

Furious, Austin went under the bottom rope, attacking Mideon, throwing him into the steel ring post. Farooq who was now back up, attempted to exit the ring to fight Austin, but he was stopped by Shamrock, who gave him a belly to back suplex, which he then turned into his patented ankle lock submission!

Farooq was tapping furiously from the pain within his ankle, but since they weren't the legal men, the referee attempted to get Shamrock to relinquish the hold, however to no avail, as Shamrock was once again entered that zone!

Bradshaw, pulling his way back up, then ran from the turnbuckle and delivered a clothesline to Farooq, knocking Shamrock down to the mat, nearly unconscious!

At the same time, Saphirra then ran from the top of the stage and down to the ring area, bypassing the fighting Ministry and Corporation members, some even fighting within the crowd now.

Going over to the timekeeper's table, Saphirra grabbed Austin's Smoking Skull belt, and as Austin climbed back in the ring and gave Bradshaw another Stone Cold Stunner, Sapphira slid into the ring and hit Austin in the back with his own belt! Austin, who only budged a hair, turned around looking at her as if she had completely lost her mind!

Saphirra, who was not backing up, mouthed off to Austin, asking him "You're not such a big man now, are you?" Austin, looking around at the crowd, smiling, gave Saphirra two birds in return, giving her a Stunner her, as well, her body falling almost outside of the ring!

Shamrock, groggiy, who had also made it back to his feet, was enraged that Austin had Stunned his baby sister!

Turning Austin around forcefully, getting in his face, Austin backed up a bit, and delivered to Kenny him a Stunner, dropping him instantly!

Covering Bradshaw, the ref counted 1,2,3, and although collectively Austin and Shamrock were the winners, the only person left standing in the ring was Austin, who looked around wildly surveying his damage!

Climbing to the turnbuckle nearest the timekeepers table, Austin gave the signal to have his signature brewskis tossed to him, and as he popped the top to two of them, Stephanie, who couldn't contain her excitement, as her father was finally going to get the chance to regain the company Mark had stolen from him, ran down to the ring, climbed through the bottom rope, and hugged Austin around his neck joyfully!

Austin, surprised that Stephanie was hugging him, looked into the eyes of the Undertaker, who was standing at the top of the stage, angry beyond recognition!

Rolling his eyes into the back of his head, Austin countered with two middle fingers, as Smackdown! went off the air!


	23. Going Home

As Taker and Paul Bearer made their way to the backstage area, Stephanie was still hugging Austin, who still remained thoroughly confused as to why she was doing so!

Steph knew that her running down to hug Austin would piss Mark off, but she had absolutely no idea that he had somehow swindled the company away from Vince until she got to the arena that night and heard Vince making the announcement when the she and the Ministry were making their way to the ring.

As Stephanie looked over to the fallen Ryan, who was being helped to the back by several different referees, Farooq, wobbly and dizzy, ordered Stephanie to the back from outside the ring, careful not to step back in the ring with Austin.

Steph, mortified that she was going to back to … that creature … looked back at Farooq, then whispered into Austin's ear, "Thank you."

Steph, reluctant still, pulled back from Austin, and then exited out of the bottom ring rope, but before she could even step foot on the black ring steps, Farooq picked her up and put her down on the ground, almost dragging her to the back, while Stephanie, in those God-forsaken shoes, struggled to keep up. Farooq, holding the back of his head, escaped with Stephanie to the back, rushing through the locker room area to an awaiting car outside.

Taker, who was standing outside with his arms folded up, saw Farooq and Stephanie exiting the building. Grabbing Stephanie by the arm when she neared, his nails sinking deep into her skin, Stephanie was suddenly scared to no end, contemplating just what might Mark do to her.

Ordering Farooq to into the driver seat, Mark pushed Stephanie into the car forcefully, as Mark's huge frame descended upon her, Farooq speeding out of the parking lot as fast as he could.

On the back seat, however, Taker pinned Stephanie down once again, his voice the most frightening since she had been in his company.

Crawling his right hand around Stephanie's brown locks again, pushing her head down almost to the floor, Mark grabbed Stephanie's wrist inside of his left hand, as she began crying automatically.

She told herself she wasn't going to anymore, that she was no longer going to be reduced to tears, but Mark intimidated her so badly. Outrage spilling out of his every being, Taker bent down and yelled at her, "I told you to don't cross me, didn't I?"

Mark's hand was gripped so tightly into her scalp, she couldn't even nod yes or no even if she wanted to. As she continued to cry out loudly, Mark continued, "I warned your ass not to do anything foolish, but yet, that McMahon spirit has once again gotten the better of you, and speaking of ass …"

Taker then trailed off as he let go of her wrist, and began to caress Steph's behind into his hand. Stephanie mortified, didn't know what to do! If she screamed, no one would hear her. If she fought back, given this man's mental state, he'd probably flip out. She didn't want to fight him back, but if push came to shove, then she knew that would absolutely have to.

Rubbing his hand over her thighs, Taker's fingers rubbed against her behind again, reminding Stephanie, "You're _my_ wife! Therefore Stephanie…", then, smacking her behind a small bit, but not enough to actually hurt her, he continued. "You're going to have to learn when and whom to give respect to."

Letting go of her hair, Stephanie, on the floor of the limo, rubbed her scalp, but Taker, sitting up in the seat, pulled her up by both wrists, and with one huge sweeping motion, reached down and pulled Stephanie's dress over her head, rendering her completely naked again, but obviously, Taker wasn't in the mood for sex.

Throwing her dress on the ground, Taker then grabbed Steph by both wrists again, and quickly thew over his lap, entrapping her left arm in between his thighs, holding her back down with his left forearm.

Stephanie, knowing what was coming next, managed to look back horrified, and exclaimed, "HUH! Don't you dare put your …" and before she could get the rest of her sentence out, Mark's paw like hand came crashing down onto her bottom, as Stephanie jerked her head up in pain!

Then came a second one, landing right in between both cheeks, resulting in both the cheeks on Stephanie's face and on her backside to burn with fury and pain! She could not believe that Mark was actually spanking her!

Growing up, Stephanie had never even received a spanking, not from Vince, and certainly not from Linda, and here she was, thrown over Mark's lap, age twenty-two, howling in the back of a limo as if she were a child!

Shrieking, desperately trying to get away from this man, Stephanie flung her right hand every which way, but to no avail.

She even tried to cover her right butt cheek to alleviate some of the slaps that for sure were still coming, but he even came down on that, causing Steph to scream out further. She must have received at least ten licks to her backside before Mark stopped striking her bottom, and after he finished, actually dumped poor Stephanie onto the floor!

Rubbing her behind, looking up at him with anger burning through her, Mark pointed down at her, warning, "Now, I think you'll be more careful before you piss me off again." And with that, Mark tossed Stephanie's dress right back into her face, ordering her to put it back on, which she obliged to.

Steph's butt stung so badly that she didn't even want to get up! How dare he put his hands on! She thought about kicking him, but she quickly came to the realization that the gesture would hurt her more than it hurt him. Stephanie, in pain, her inflamed butt cheeks feeling like they had a heartbeat inside of them, attempted to sob and lie on her side, but with all the bumps in the road, it was impossible to get comfortable.

As the limo came to a stop, Taker, not even waiting for Farooq to open door, got out himself, pulling Stephanie up in the process. Letting out an "ouch", Steph looked up at Mark, who looked as if he could murder several kittens, then rubbed her backside, but stopped after the fabric of the dress just caused her even more pain. Walking into the hotel, Steph slowly trailed behind Taker, who punched the button to the elevator from the lobby. After the elevator door opened, Taker pressed the button to the eighth floor again, and upon their arrival to their floor, entered the hotel room.

Taker, walking around her because Steph was walking so slowly, went into the bedroom, from which Steph could hear water running. Coming back out, Taker pointed inside the bedroom to where the bathroom resided and said, "Shower, now, we're leaving in an hour and a half." Steph, looking around wildly, thought out loud, "But whe … where are we going?"

Taker, who stood over her, yelled out, "Now!"

Jumping, Stephanie bolted to the restroom as fast as her throbbing backside would allow her. The water was already running and steam was quickly fogging the bathroom mirror. As Stephanie undressed and stepped into the shower, she wished to God Mark had drawn her a bath. Even if she couldn't sit down all the way, surely the warm water would have eased her backside more than standing up.

Taking a thorough shower, Stephanie once again began sobbing, all the while, attempting to dodge the steaming water from running over her tender backside. About twenty minutes later, Steph speed out of the shower, where a robe hanging behind the bathroom door in a "Her" size.

Toweling off and stepping into it, along with the slippers that had been placed in the room, Stephanie peeped out the door, looking out for Mark, but upon realizing he wasn't in the bedroom, she slowly walked to the living room again, she smelled food along the way. Having not eaten since breakfast, Stephanie was starving and desperately needed to eat.

Opening the door that separated the bed and living room, Stephanie walked out slowly. Mark who was sitting on the couch, the bottom half of his wrestling attire straddling his waist, was eating a delicious looking cheeseburger, fries, with a Coke.

Standing there for a moment before saying anything, Stephanie simply watched as he ate his food. Looking around until he acknowledged her, Steph realized that she didn't smell or see anything else. Had he not ordered her anything to eat?

Mark, who looked up at her from his burger, spoke up saying, "Get dressed," patting a bag that was seated next to him. Walking over, Stephanie attempted to pick up the bag, but it was so heavy she wasn't able to move it. Putting his sandwich down finally, Mark slapped his hands together to get rid of the excess crumbs, wiped his hands on a napkin, then opened the bag himself, handing her what appeared to be a standard gray sweatshirt with matching pants, and a bra and panties set again. As Stephanie walked off to get dressed in the other room, Mark's voice called out to her again, "Where you think you're going?"

Stephanie didn't like his tone, and knew that she had done something wrong again. Turning around a bit, almost with a limp, Stephanie answered mildly, "I'm going to get changed."

Mark raised an eyebrow at her, then looked down at his sandwich, before glancing back up at her again, this time, his face showing calm, his voice betraying him. "In there?"

Steph absently shook her head. She didn't know what he wanted. Fiddling with her fingers underneath the clothes, Stephanie replied, "Ye…Yes, I just thought that you…"

"You thought wrong," Mark said cutting her off. "In here."

Slurping his drink, Mark hiked a leg up off the couch and watched Stephanie intently. Stephanie, her cheeks burning bright red once more, sat the clothes down in one of the chairs. She was being coerced into taking her clothes off in front of this man!

Sure, he had seen her naked before, and yes, they almost came close to having sex, twice at that, however, this man had spanked her, was refusing to feed her, and now he wanted her to dress and undress in front of him?

_"The nerve!"_

Looking up into his eyes, knowing Mark meant business, Stephanie slowly untied the knot around her robe, then taking her fingers, plucked the robe from her body, letting it fall to the ground, a self-conscious chagrin quickly overtaking her.

She was standing completely naked in front of this man!

Reaching for the bra he had picked out for her, Stephanie reached behind her to fasten it, but then taking a look at her panties, knowing how her bottom felt, she really didn't want to put them on.

Looking up at Mark, she slowly picked them up, but with his hand, Mark waved them off. Giving a mental sigh of relief, Steph went about putting on her sweatshirt, then the bottoms. Thankfully, she only had to bend down once to put them on and the fact that they were loose made her feel a whole lot better about herself.

Suddenly getting to his feet, Taker grabbed the rest of the bag, and left out of the room. Stephanie turned her body to see exactly what he was going to do, but he simply turned the shower water on, gave her a stern look before entering, and then took his own shower.

Stephanie, desperately wanted to rest now, decided to turn her body sideways on the couch, but her but sting stung like all get out!

_"What kind of man spanks his wife?" _

Then, she had to remember, she wasn't this man's wife! She wasn't his! He didn't own her and he couldn't tell her what to do, either! Steph knew that the reason why she didn't see Vince in the arena, despite the fact that Mark had her under lock and key, was because her daddy was going to bail her out of this mess! And why did Mark insist on them taking separate showers, but then the two had been almost intimate with each other on two separate occasions? He had just literally made her strip right in front of him! Did he not think she was attractive? When she pulled her robe off just then, there had literally been no expression on his face!

_"Is he gay?"_

Steph literally tossed with uncomfortableness with burning questions running all through her mind until Mark reappeared in the doorway with a black T-Shirt on, a pair of black draw string sweat pants, and black socks. Tying his hair into a loose ponytail in the back, and placing a black baseball cap over his head, Stephanie stopped squirming as soon as he was back in the room. Tossing her a pair of sneakers that he had purchased her, Mark, preoccupied with getting himself together, told her without looking, "Put those on."

Steph, looking up at him had to bottle every emotion inside of her just so she would scream at him! Here he had just spanked her, her butt felt like hell how found itself a new home, and he wanted her to bend down and pick something up? Doing it anyway, Steph put on the shoes and laced them up, her butt feeling worse than it was before. Still not looking at her, Taker asked out loud, "You ready?" Steph nodded her head once and decided to ask again,

"Where are we going?"

Mark, almost smirking at her innocence, finally admitted, "Home".


	24. Long Flight to Houston

As Mark and Steph made their way down to the lobby area of the hotel, Stephanie was beyond appalled!

A spanking, no food, and now she was being force to carry her own bag. Not that it was heavy heavy, but the simple fact of the matter is, Mark should have been a gentleman and offered to carry her things for her!

As they rounded into the lobby, Stephanie was barely keeping up, and an executive type looking woman, who was having a drink near the piano with another woman in a business suit, frowned at Mark from the mere sight of Stephanie having to try and keep up with him.

Stephanie, nearly out of breath, looked over in the lobby through passing to find Paul at the front desk, leaning over speaking with a female reservationist, clearly flirting with the much younger woman.

"You know, where I come from, a gentleman always does this kind of work. You're too pretty to be doing all this hard stuff…", said Paul, who was making the younger woman giggle, but Mark, tapping him on the shoulder, gave him a look to say, "Come on, let's go".

Paul, mumbling under his breath, kindly told the clerk that he'd see her again next time, but after walking away, pointed a finger in Mark's face, playfully scolding him. Just then, Stephanie saw something that he hadn't seen before.

Mark was him smiling — legitimately smiling — a low chuckle actually — and it had nothing to do with WWF domination, evil and bad intentions, or anything in between.

He was merely sharing a joke with his mentor. Obviously those two had a really close bond with each other, Stephanie thought, and it was apparent that somewhere deep down inside him, Mark actually had a sweet spot. If only she could get to it …

As they made it to the outside of the hotel, Christian, in plain clothes himself now, his long hair flying freely in the nighttime air, was once again waiting on Mark.

And that was something that Stephanie just couldn't figure out. Why was Christian seemingly following Mark around like a little puppy dog? He carried their bags, drove their car, all sorts of things.

For one, she had seen Mark carpool with various people over the years, now all of the sudden, _Mark Calaway_ needed a driver? Was he really taking his role as the new "Vince McMahon" that seriously?

Christian popped the trunk of the car of the four door sedan and reached out to grab Stephanie's bag. Christian, like her, was also sporting a limp, and it was Stephanie's guess that maybe he had hurt himself in the ring. He had been hitting it extra hard, seemingly trying to prove himself.

Opening the door for her, Stephanie looked over to the other side of the car at Mark, his tall statuesque like body clearly taller than the vehicle. Looking back at her with dead eyes, Stephanie blank twice before quickly looking away and then simply got in the car, slowly, her behind feeling extra tingly now.

As she, Christian, Paul, and Mark got in the car and drove away, Stephanie tried to adjust her body, wanting to lie on her side until they got to the airport. When Mark said "home", she assumed that he was talking about his home in Houston, and hopefully they weren't going to drive all the way to Houston. She'd die!

Wriggling around in the back, Stephanie tried her best not to keep up a bunch of noise, but she was just in so much pain…! Paul, who was giving Christian directions on where to go, talked back to Mark, while Steph desperately searched for a way to alleviate the pain on her burning backside.

"And you know that this little bitty old airport here, it don't have any flights back to Houston, so we're going to have to drive all the way back to Hartford."

"_HARTFORD!?" _Steph thought in agony!

That was a 45 minute drive! Growing up in Connecticut, Stephanie knew most parts of this state like the back of her hand, and the airport here in New Haven was only a 10 minute drive away. Now she had to suffer another 35 minutes just so they could take a flight to Mark's God-forsaken Texas?

Feeling sick to her stomach, Stephanie simply stopped squirming around and just decided to lie on her right side facing the window. Hopefully if she counted cars or went to sleep, they'd be there in no time at all.

And she did. Steph actually fell asleep for a bit, and when Mark poked her in her side, when she was naturally ticklish, she jumped, forgetting her butt was still tender as a steak in a fine dining establishment, wincing out loud. Looking back, she saw Mark looking over at her. Why did this man scare the heebie-jeebies out of her she did not know.

Looking around, Steph saw people leaving in and out of this automatic sliding door, along with a cop, who had a badge and gun, and another man who had "Airport Security" printed on his shirt, conversing outside, letting Stephanie now they had made it to the airport.

Christian was the first one to get out of the car, followed by Paul, then Mark. Stephanie, sensing she should do the same, although her butt warned otherwise, got out of the car, as well, wincing as she stood up.

Christian then handed everyone their bags, including Stephanie. Looking up at Mark in amazement, as if she was trying to say, "I'm really going to have to carry my bag all the way to the plane?", Mark merely looked down at her, hands on his hip, as if he was silently telling her, "Yep."

Turning around, Stephanie honestly thought about running to the cops, and as bad as Mark was, he wasn't going to nip up from a bullet to the head, but Stephanie, once again, thought otherwise. Why exactly, she still hadn't figured that out herself, but she just told herself it was a bad idea.

Walking behind Mark inside the busy airport, he didn't even check back to see if Stephanie was even attempting to get the attention of the cops. He was simply walking, talking to Paul, Christian behind them.

Steph thought slowly, _"He leaves me alone in the hotel room when I could have escaped, called 911, or my daddy, but he doesn't trust me at the arena? We almost had sex, yet he spanks me." _

One word came to Steph's mind: bipolar.

That's it, she thought mentally, Mark was bipolar. He was trying to play mind games with her as if she was one of his flunkies. She didn't think of him as the "Lord of Darkness", he was just Mark to her. She didn't think of him as a _husband_, he was a savage, and if he thought that he could get away with physically and mentally brutalizing her, he had another thing coming.

Walking straight into the airport, Paul handed them their boarding passes. Passing through airport security, Steph looked around anxiously, nervous. Again, she wanted to say something, but if she did, what would be the repercussions behind doing such? After passing through airport security and walking into their terminal, Stephanie, so preoccupied with worry, totally missed the sign on the wall that said, "AirTran: No full meals served beyond this point."

Walking outside to the plane, which was fairly large, Stephanie looked all about her.

For one, she had never been in the public sector of the airport. She and her family had always flown private, therefore this security screening stuff was new to her. And where would they sit? Hopefully first class Steph thought willfully. She mentally recalled how her one of her friends was forced to downgrade to business class after a glitch in the computer system, and she didn't want to go through the same experience.

Stephanie was so absentee about everything, she began climbing the steps to the airplane without much thought, almost going beyond the flight attendant who was greeting everyone, asking for boarding passes.

Turning around, Mark had to nudge Stephanie to bring her back down to reality again, looking pissed off that she wasn't paying attention, but how could she? She was literally about to call some place on the other side of the country _home_.

"Miss, may I see your boarding pass, please?", the mild-mannered flight attendant asked.

"Oh, sorry, sorry," Steph said apologetically, taking a chance to look up at Mark, who was looking back down at her, forcing Stephanie to turn from his red hot gaze. No matter what she did, she hated making eye contact with this man.

"You're all set, Ms. McMahon, thank you for flying with us," said the flight attenadant, opening her arm, allowing Stephanie to pass.

Not saying anything, Stephanie continued into the plane, which was stuffed with people trying to sit down. Why were they so unorganized? Did they not have a system? All Steph wanted to do was sit in the luxury accommodations of first class, rest her bottom, and take a nap, hopefully to wake up back in her bed in Greenwich, even if that last part seemed did seem a bit far fetched. After ten minutes of people boarding, Steph was approached by another flight attendant.

"Hello, ma'am. May I help you to your seat?"

"Sure, thank you," Steph managed with a weak smile.

Pointing into the cabin, the flight attendant urged, "Alright ma'am, just make this left right here, and your section is 28B, it's in this first cabin right here behind this curtain, ma'am."

"Thanks," Stephanie said, with the flight attendant nodding, walking away to help another passenger.

What Stephanie saw next, however, made her cringe from her head to her toes. The plane was packed with people, so packed in fact that she didn't think she'd have room to sit down!

There were at least two different babies crying, and there was literally no leg room between the seats! The seat themselves looked very uncomfortable, and there were hardly any window seats left. How was she supposed to survive on a four hour and thirty five minute flight cramped up like this, with a forest fire burning up all of her real estate on her backside?

Mark then turned around and told her, "Here", pointing in direction of their seat, grabbing her bag so he could put it in the compartment overhead. Alas, he was giving her the window seat, but was he so cheap he didn't even want to pay for at least Business Class, even though Stephanie considered those accommodations a downgrade?

Had she gotten married to a cheapskate?

Mark then sat right beside her, CD player in hand, but Stephanie was still standing up. She didn't know how to approach this seat and when she turned her head and looked down at Mark, Steph could have sworn she saw a hint of a smirk on his face.

"_So he takes joy in my pain?!"_

Before she could even finish her thought, Mark asked her, "You gonna sit down or not?"

Stephanie, wanting to ask one of the stewardess badly for an ice pack, sat down slowly, leaning a little bit on her hip, but gosh darn it those seats were so cramped together, she could barely even do that!

Another stewardess came over and informed Stephanie, "Excuse me, Ms., we're about to take off in about ten minutes, can you sit forward and fasten your seatbelt."

And with that, Stephanie could have absolutely turned into mush and slid into to the recesses of the plane. Sit on her aching behind? Was this woman insane? Could she not tell she was in pain?

Mark, trying to program his CD player, continued to look down, while Stephanie managed to sit all the way down into the seat, smiling up at the flight attendant, even though the sheer pain she was feeling was unrivaled to anything she had felt in her life.

Looking around a bit, Stephanie saw Paul and Christian were also seated in the middle aisle of the plane, and then she saw Saphirra, who was already fast asleep. Looking around even more, Stephanie then spotted Farooq, Viscera, Mideon, Gangrel, Edge, and Bradshaw!

"_What in the hell are they doing here? Are they coming with us too?"_

Stephanie, now hungry with the nervousness that had taken refuge all over her body, then called out to the flight attendant softly as she was passing by again.

"Excuse me ma'am. When is dinner going to be served?"

The stewardess, however polite, smiled and informed Stephanie, "There aren't any full course meals served on this flight ma'am, however, we do offer a small selection of complimentary snacks, while others are available for purchase, which you can do right after take off."

An abduction, a forced marriage, a spanking, no dinner at the hotel, carrying her own bags, no first class, and only snacks on the plane. Stephanie didn't think it could get any worse!


	25. Call of Duty

After four hours and some odd minutes of Stephanie tossing and turning in her seat, the words of the monotonous tone of the stewardess saying over the intercom that they'd land at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in twenty minutes never excited Stephanie more!

She was hungry, sleep deprived, abused, neglected, and she wanted off this germ box! So many people were coughing and sneezing, babies kept crying, and all Steph wanted to do was go into the bathroom and hide! Not that Steph was trying to be a bitch, but she was just on edge. She honestly felt like she was about to go mad, and this was only Day 3 of what seemed to be her permanent hell!

On the flight, the flight attendants handed out Coke in teeny bitty cups, and the potato chips bags were no bigger than her hand. Steph's stomach growled badly, and with her having no money, and the hunger inside her stomach about to send her off the deep end, Steph finally rallied up the courage to ask Mark for some money, like a common Stepford wife, to buy her bigger portions of snacks. The look on his face as he went into his back pocket absolutely made Stephanie sick!

He was getting his rocks off of mentally masturbating with her! Although he reached down in his wallet and purchased her about $10 worth of snacks, he whispered into her ear, "You're on punishment, don't get too used to all this nice treatment."

_Punishment? _Steph called "punishment" losing the black card in Jamaica and having American Express take forever to replace it; the longest three hours of her life it felt like then, but if this had been Mark's version of punishment before, then what in the world would he call punishment now?

After the plane landed, everyone got up out of their seats and headed for the exits. Stephanie was was so sore and cramped up from this terrible plane ride that she had honestly even forgotten to get up, despite her surroundings, and since Mark wasn't taking any strides to help her, she had help herself up.

Pushing herself up, Steph followed behind Mark and down the stairs of the plane. Stephanie had been to Houston several times before, both while on business with the WWF and for her own personal satisfaction, but now that she was with Mark, she felt completely different, and worst off, alone.

The realization that she didn't have any of her family members, friends, or any of the WWF associates, like Tori, whom she had actually become quite close with over the past several months, by her side made Steph begin to walk and cry silently. She was scared. It was no denying that.

She was scared, Mark and everyone else knew she was afraid, but no one was coming to her rescue. Hearing her sob, once inside the airport, Taker pulled her into the restroom area right outside the terminal to ask her what was wrong, and although Steph simply shook her head and looked down, trying to control her tears, Mark lifted her head up again and reiterated his question.

"It's nothing really. I just got myself upset over nothing is all," Stephanie lied, looking up at Mark this time, who had on a pair of sunglasses on. Steph then looked down at her hands and began fiddling with them, a nasty habit that always gave away the fact that she was nervous.

"You're not being honest," Mark said in a very stern voice. "Steph, I want the truth and I want it now."

Steph nodded slowly, then responded, "I…I…I am being honest. Honestly. I just worked myself up over nothing, really."

Continuing to look down, Steph heard Mark sniff, once again lifting her head up with two fingers, telling her point blank, "Well, if you're going to continue to lie, I guess I'll have to tack on more things for you to do then, since, like a true McMahon, you're incapable of being honest."

What did he mean by tack on more things for her to do?

Steph knew if she told him the truth, he'd get upset, and if she knew if she continued to lie, he'd still be upset. She was literally damned if she did and damned if she didn't. In the end, however, Steph simply decided to tell him the truth, because she just didn't want to visualize what all he had planned for her to _do_ if she kept her wall up.

"I was just upset about me missing my family and my friends from grade school and stuff, that's all Mark, really." Stephanie admitted, almost trembling she was so nervous.

"Is that right?", Mark asked, sarcasm spilling out his voice.

Stephanie, nodded, and said, "Yes. I promise."

Taker, putting his hands on his hips, put a right forearm on the wall to Stephanie's right, trapping her. Pointing his index finger right into her face, Mark spoke dark, dangerously.

"Steph, you still don't seem to get it, so let me break it down for you: forget about your old life. The people in it didn't want you around anyway as far as I can tell and …"

Just then, an older looking woman, who had a magazine in her hand, walking out the restroom, looked at Mark questioningly, and with the terrified look on Stephanie's face, she continued her look of concern as she sat in a seat opposite of the scene playing out in front of her. She obviously didn't like what she was seeing, and wanted to be a witness just in case Mark got too out of line.

Mark, however, taking clear exception to the woman's blatant stare of his business, asked abruptly and impolitely, "May I help you?"

The woman, who looked utterly insulted, then opened the magazine and attempted to read out of it, while Mark returned his attention back to Stephanie.

"Steph, you're _my_ wife now, do you understand me? and when I say 'you're mines', I don't say it for it to be a catchphrase on a T-Shirt. Your family? I'm your family. Your friends? You don't need friends. All you need is me! Now, get your act together, because you pissed me off last night, and I'm not about to be all sympathetic with you. When we get home, you go to work. Are we clear?"

Steph, astonished how Mark managed to speak to her like this, stood there wide eyed for a moment, before finally nodding in return, not truly knowing what to say.

"Good," Mark replied.

As he grabbed her by the arm, ushering her away from the restroom area, Steph finally spoke up.

"Mark, I have to go to the restroom."

Still pulling on her, however, ready to exit the airport with all of the busybodies as quickly as possible, Mark replied, "You better hold it. We're already behind."

And with that, the two went outside the airport, to where Christian and Paul Bearer were waiting for them in another sedan.

* * *

><p>The scenery of Houston was incredible! Steph always loved coming here, the shopping, the food, and the Southern hospitality were all absolutely amazing, but Stephanie wasn't in a particular mood for any of those things. All she wanted was her old life back, and sadly, as each second ticked on, all of that began to fade away faster and faster.<p>

As she sat in the back of the car with Christian, as Mark drove, with Paul Bearer sitting in the passenger seat, Steph stared helplessly out the window. What had she done to Mark to deserve this kind of treatment from him? Why was he so mean to her? All she had ever done was be nice to this man, and he was treating her like crap!

Did she run down and hug Austin? Yes, but only because she was just so overwhelmed with joy that she couldn't help herself. If Mark had a heart, he'd understand that, but he didn't, leaving Stephanie in the predicament she found herself in now.

There were times when she felt Mark staring at her body, especially when she had been nude in front of him, and she felt all of her skin crawling. But then at other times, despite the fact that she kept telling herself over and over again that this guy was bad news, she felt herself get small urges of _something_ around him. She couldn't figure it out. Steph guessed that's why she had allowed him to touch her like he had, hoping if she did, he'd open up some and stop being so damn harsh towards her, but it seemed as if nothing she ever did pleased this man.

They must have drove for at least an hour and a half, passing a bunch of ranches with cows and horses grazing in various fields and such before they pulled up to this magnificent looking house on the left side of the road. As they passed the house a bit more, Steph allowed a "Wow", to escape under her breath. Unfortunately however, this was loud enough for Mark to hear her, who looked back into the rearview mirror at Stephanie, while she continued to take in the magnificent sight of what was Mark Calaway's home.

Growing up in Greenwich, which was only behind Beverly Hills as one of the most expensive zip codes in the country, Stephanie wasn't often impressed when she saw these huge houses; they were honestly sprouting up all over the place now. In fact, Stephanie often found that when people did start building homes or adding on to their existing ones, the finished result was often times just ended up being gaudy instead of classy. Mark's home, however, was the immediate exception to the rule.

The house was outfitted with a reddish metal copper roof, a sand stone exterior, and was obviously designed with French Country architecture in mind. It was also a waterfront property, with a pond just out back, and had to be sitting on at least eight or nine acres of land.

Reaching his long arm out and pressing a code into a keypad, the gate to the home swung magically open, with Mark drove inside.

_"How is this his house?"_, Steph wondered. In her mind, Mark lived in a God awful cold and dank castle somewhere in Transylvania. She knew he was from Texas and all, but this home definitely did not fit his outward appearance.

_"Maybe there's something I'm not seeing about him."_

As Mark got out of the car, stretching his long body, Steph watched as he walked behind the car. Looking into the rearview mirror, Steph saw another car pull immediately up behind them.

_"That must be the rest of the Ministry,"_ she said to herself.

Then, Paul got out, as well, and when Steph heard the trunk open, so did Christian, who hadn't uttered a word nor looked her way the entire time they had been in the backseat with together.

Looking around, Steph tried to figure out just where were they. Did Houston have any rural areas to it? It sure didn't look feel like a big city atmosphere. In fact, Steph found everything too be far to quaint, however, in a good way, for this to be the Houston she had often traveled to.

The atmosphere in Greenwich was polished lawns, political fundraisers, and having people in your home all the time discussing business with Vince into the wee hours of the morning. But the setting she was in now felt more peaceful, more rustic.

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted when Mark unexpectedly opened the door she was leaning on, almost making her fall completely out of the car! Looking up at him with both shock and anger, Mark ordered Steph, "Get your shit and get inside, upstairs to the double doors at the very end of the hallway on the right. I'll deal with you when I get in there."

_"Deal with me? Dear, God, he hasn't calmed down yet?"_

Grabbing her bag from Christian, Steph headed inside the gigantic house just as he told her to.

The entrance, with its magnificent oak woods doors, gave quite the visual aid. Opening the heavy door, Steph walked right into a very grand foyer, which was as brilliant as it was gorgeous. Opening up into the living room, the foyer also featured a beautiful winding staircase, which obviously led upstairs. Stepping down from two steps on the foyer, Stephanie, looking overhead, saw a huge crystal chandelier that was literally illuminating all of the downstairs area.

If growing up in extreme wealth had taught Stephanie anything, she learned early on how to separate the real from the fake, and simply looking up at that thing, Steph could tell that this particular chandelier was custom made, all crystal, with gold bulb holders wrought throughout it. Impressed, since this must have set Mark back at least ten grand, Stephanie began touring a room to the immediate left of the foyer to the left.

Floor to ceiling windows were covered by heavy brown and gold draping, a stand stone fireplace was the centerpiece of the room, and the mahogany wood floors matched the dark and light brown matching couches and end tables perfectly.

_"He must have an interior decorator,"_ Steph thought to herself, moving out of that room and into another. To the right of the foyer sat an informal dining room area, which also had a small chandelier hanging over a dark oak table, which had ten seats around it, four on each side, and one at either end.

Exiting this room now, Stephanie was curious as to what she'd find behind an open double door at the end of the foyer. Walking to it slowly, in a trance almost, Stephane suddenly felt the fury of Mark's right hand as it came crashing down on her behind!

Had Stephanie not known who it was slapping her behind, she would have yelled out from the pain. Did he not know that her rump was still tender from the havoc he placed on it last night?

_"Or does he just not care?"_

Pointing upstairs and inconveniently stopping her informal tour, Steph walked up the carpeted staircase with her bag, looking back down at Mark, who was now speaking to a laughing Bradshaw.

Following the staircase to the very top, Steph looked over the railing to see yet another living area, which was the room she was trying to take a peek at until Mark had caught her.

Walking along the hallway, Steph saw that spacious upstairs had doors at almost every turn, most of which were closed. As she made it to the end of the hallway to the right, just as Mark had told her, she came across a similar set of heavy oak wood doors she found downstairs.

Opening one of them, Steph looked around at the beautiful master bedroom suite. The ceiling had an alluring coffered crown molding etched into it, with the same oak wood that was found throughout house, however, these had intricate patterns carved into them, with a beautiful crystal and brown wrought iron chandelier hanging over the quite large king size bed, which had four posters, along with two brown end tables on each end, topped with matching brown lamps.

To the left was yet another beautiful sandstone fireplace, and a huge big screen TV literally covering one wall to the other in front of the bed. There was a door to the right of the fireplace, and when Stephanie opened it, she saw nothing but lush green acreage, along with a gorgeous custom made swimming pool, with a stone waterfall, grotto, and a jacuzzi right beside it, the view literally taking Stephanie's breath away.

Closing the door to the magnificent view and walking into the bathroom, it was just as magnificent as the rest of the home. What looked to be onyx covered the his and her vanity, which had a huge clear mirror in front of it. At the end of the vanity, it curved into a makeup area for a woman, with a white, tuft back stool sitting underneath. The tub, which had two onyx steps leading into it, was honestly big enough to fit a whole family of four. There was also a huge separate shower that was enclosed in stained glass, the warm brown's and and gold's within it adding to the overall decor of the room.

There were also no exposed toilets, and when Stephanie opened a door to what she thought was the closet, there was a toilet and also a bidet, the thought of Mark honestly ever using the bidet making snicker a little bit.

Closing that door, Stephanie opened yet another door in the spacious bathroom, which this time did turn out to be the closet. However, there were old worn out clothes scattered everywhere, along with helmet was tossed carelessly on the floor, and some old memorabilia was in the room as well. One of the relics Stephanie found was a picture of Mark with his short, natural red hair, black tights exposing his thighs, walking beside who looked to be a younger Teddy Long. But this room was an absolute disaster!

Leaving out the bathroom now, Stephanie walked back into the bedroom again and saw Ryan standing near the bed, the right cheek on her face a deep purple and blue color, no doubt bruised from the Stunner she suffered from Austin.

She was holding what appeared to be a white tube, twirling it around in her fingers, while looking back at Stephanie as if she had some type of deep resentment for her. What had come over Ryan these last few days, Stephanie didn't know. For sure Mark had a lot do with her new physical appearance, probably brainwashing her, promising her the world to boot, but on the other hand, like Kenny, she didn't seem to be the sharpest knife in the drawer.

She and Steph stared at each other for a polarizing thirty seconds or so before Saphirra finally spoke up.

"Lie on the bed and pill down your pants. Master wants me to apply this ointment to your behind."

_"So Mark does have a heart, huh?" _

Following Ryan's instructions and laying face down on the bed, Steph pulled her pants down ever so gently, making sure not to touch her still buzzing flesh. Ryan took the cap of the tube off, applying a generous amount of ointment to her fingertips. Steph just still could not believe that Mark had actually spanked her!

It had honestly felt like with every slap, his hand came down harder and harder, five slaps to each cheek. The thought of going through that again sent chills down Stephanie's spine, but she had already made it up in her mind, if Mark ever tried to do that to her again, the "Hometown" question in his biography wasn't the only thing that was going to read "Death Valley".

Rubbing her hand over Stephanie's behind, Ryan kind of started off rough, causing Steph to wince in pain, looking back at her to see just why was she applying the ointment so harshly. But then, after a few seconds, Steph felt the medication starting to work, receiving instant relief.

Ryan was being gentler too, causing Steph to close her eyes for a bit. After a few minutes of rubbing the ointment into her backside, Ryan stopped.

As Stephanie looked back, she saw Ryan putting the cap back on the tub, telling her "I'll have to reapply it in a few hours."

Nodding, once again, Steph all of the sudden felt bad for not asking Ryan about her physical condition. She has a real ugly bruise sitting on her face from Austin, and even though Steve was one of the true stand up guys in the locker room, despite what people saw on TV, she did not condone what he done to her at the Smackdown! taping. Steve was twice Ryan's size, and yes, Ryan was wrong for getting involved in his match, but that was still no reason for Steve to actually give her a finishing maneuver designed for a man!

Stephanie decided to speak up.

"Rya — Saphirra, is there anything I can do for you? I mean, you've been nice enough to help me out and I just feel like, you know, if you need me, maybe I can help you out."

Saphirra began to smile then, but it wasn't the kind of smile one would want to see on someone face. No, this smile had no genuine feelings behind it. Saphirra gave Stephanie a smile that was eerily creepy and similar to what Mark or one of the Ministry would give. It was from that moment when Stephanie made up in her mind of not to ever attempt to converse with this mad woman again, unless she absolutely had to, of course.

Just as Stephanie was making the silent vow in her head, Mark entered the room, this time with his glasses pulled back into his hair. Steph, who still had her pants below her behind, should have been used to Mark making interruptions just at the right time she found herself in compromising positions, but she didn't think she could ever still herself against surprised such as this.

Looking back again, Steph saw Mark rubbing Ryan's swollen jawline, as a flash of anger rolled across his face. Stephanie knew with that look, Mark and the Ministry would more than likely have all kinds of surprises in store for Austin, especially since he was now going to be taking her father's place in the company … until Vince got it back of course.

If Steph knew one thing about her father, she knew that he always had a backup plan, and Mark would definitely be in store for a surprise himself. Ryan, who looked as if she was going to melt under Mark's touch, was dismissed from the room, but not before she could shoot Steph a dirty look before she left.

_"What is wrong with that woman?"_

Walking up to her, butt still exposed, Mark surveyed the damage. It was nothing like what his father had poured on him when he got out of line, but it was just enough for Stephanie to get the picture. Picking her up from behind, Mark sat her down on her feet, before he began speaking.

"You're one hardheaded woman," Mark revealed calmly.

Stephanie, who looked around confused, pulling her pants up, didn't understand what Mark was getting at, but she knew that she'd know all too well in a few seconds.

Continuing, Mark said, "I told you to come straight here, didn't I?"

_"So this is what this is about?"_ Steph, of course didn't ask that freely, but she did nod, just to avoid another whatever this man could dish out.

"So I figured that since you wanted to take a tour, and since Saphirra has shown so much loyalty, while you on the other hand have not, that you wouldn't mind taking her place in doing the chores I originally assigned for _her_."

Steph, with an honest look of surprise on her face, didn't protest. Having done household chores before, despite how minimal they had been, Steph nodded saying, "O…O…Ok. What do I have to do?"

"The entire house, top to bottom," Taker said with absolutely no pause whatsoever.

Stephanie had a look on her face that screamed, "WHAT?!" Had Mark lost his mind? This house was massive! How was she going to clean it all by herself?

Continuing with his demands, Taker pointed to the bathroom.

"That closet in the bathroom is filthy. Clean it up. Get going ASAP. Oh, and a few friends …", Taker said smiling, rubbing his chin hair devilishly. Looking down at the floor for a second or two, before he gaze caught hers again, Mark proceeded. "… Are coming over here. I need you to get down to the kitchen in about an hour and a half and whip up some stuff. Drinks, party food, stuff like that. Don't screw up, Stephanie."

Stephanie was shaking now. Not because of the fear, but because of what Mark was requiring her to do!

_"That's why he wanted my butt to heal. Not because he felt bad, but because he wanted me to be well enough to do his manual labor!"_

Mark, who saw Steph become visibly upset with his orders, asked her in a tone that suggested that his question was rhetorical, "Do you have an issue with that?"

After Steph just stood there for about a second or two, not saying anything, Mark said, "Good. Now, follow me."

Hell! That's the only thing Steph could imagine her life being like from now on if Vince didn't save her and save her now!


	26. Ring Rats

As Mark walked Stephanie back downstairs, she was boiling mad.

How could Mark be this cruel? Why was he one moment, hot with her, then all of the sudden, cold as ice? All she did was hug Austin. It wasn't like it was even in a flirtatious way, either, but Mark now sought fit to punish her, by not only spanking her and refusing her food, but now, she had to clean his house?

Stephanie kept telling herself that she was a fourth generation McMahon, that Merry Maid wasn't her title, but what other choice did she have? This unconscionable man was literally capable of anything, and she definitely didn't want to turn out like Ryan.

Pointing around the upstairs area, Mark ordered, "Do all these rooms, including the bathrooms."

Opening an utility closet, Mark pointed inside, showing Steph an assortment of brooms, mops, dustpans, cleaning supplies, and such, starting again, "Make sure that you still get that closet in the bathroom, and like I said, in about an hour and a half, you need to be downstairs, got it?"

Steph, squinting at Mark with almost a bit of hatred in her eyes, nodded. Looking around, Mark continued, "There are six bedrooms, five bathrooms full size, two half size. I don't expect you to rush through them, but you do have all day. And I want them spotless."

Looking at the clock on the wall, Mark pointed to it and said, "It's a little after 7. Hop to it," tossing her the broom into her hands, almost as if her name was Cinderella.

Steph, knowing Mark meant 100% business, backed away slowly, and then began cleaning up. Going into each bedroom, Steph noticed the decor in them were all a bit different.

The first bedroom she entered was just off the staircase, and it had blueish-gray painted walls, which was offset by the white painted windows, a full-size bed with a white frame, and matching blue and gray bedding. This room seemed easy for Steph to do some fine tuning to since it honestly looked as if it hadn't ever been slept in before.

Moving on to the next room, the walls were painted a pleasant shade of green, and had a bit bay window facing the door, perfect for looking out of, while relaxing on the comfortable brown and beige pillows that were propped up against it.

To the left in the room was a standing mirror, with a portrait of some kind of plant right beside it. Walking around the room, Steph didn't notice the black bag that was sitting on the other side of the bed, because had she seen it, she would have known that Christian was in the half bathroom that was connected to it, and what she saw, she did not like.

Christian, who had his shirt off washing up, had several different angry, red lash marks across his back, which were fading into his skin! Turning around to face her, Christian had his custom blank stare on his face.

That's when it hit her.

_"Those whipping sounds in the warehouse, they weren't coming from Ryan, they were coming from Christian!"_

Stephanie, who still had the broom in her hand, eyes wide with amazement as to what she just saw, even though she knew more than likely he wasn't going to say anything, reached out her hand, touching Christian's arm, and asked, "Christian, wha—wha—what happened to your back?"

Looking down at Stepha's arm, Christian, who was usually mute, finally for the first time that Stephanie could recall, finally spoke, and told her deeply, "Don't worry about it. Just know that Edge and Gangrel got the same thing."

And with that, he pushed her hand off of his arm, pushing past her back into the bedroom.

Stephanie decided to make her exit then, but once she got outside the door, she stood the broom down next to her, and grabbed her heart!

The last time Steph had seen lashes on anyone's back like that is when she watched old movies of ax murderers and serial killers. To think Mark had done that to him frightened Stephanie to no end! Christian said that Edge and Gangrel had gotten the same treatment, as well, but last she checked, Edge and Gangrel weren't walking around with a limp, either.

With her eyes closed, Stephanie attempted to think happy thoughts, but her nerves from seeing all those red lines crisscrossing across Christian's back would more than likely haunt her for the rest of her being.

Coming up the stairs, Stephanie turned her head to see Bradshaw and Farooq walking her way, stopping right in front of her. Bradshaw, always a backstage instigator amongst the boys, reached out to touch Stephanie's ear, smiling as she jerked her head away.

"Good thing Mark knows to keep broads like you in check. Don't you have somewhere to be, Stephanie, you know, like the kitchen, where a woman is supposed to be?"

His cruel joke was then accompanied by he and Farooq's laughter.

Stephanie, feeling her cheeks burning, tried to go around them, but Bradshaw stood in front of her. Trying to go around again, this time Farooq stopped her, grabbing her by her arm.

"And speaking of a woman's place, what were you thinking when you ran down to join Austin in a little victory celebration last night? I heard right after," his gaze traveling down to her behind, looked back up at her and said, "You weren't celebrating too much, huh?"

Steph forcing her way from them, sprinted down the stairs, leaving the broom upstairs, completely forgetting about it. Running into an open bathroom door, Steph locked it and began to bawl!

She couldn't believe Mark had told them about what he had done to her! And for those two morons to talk to her like that, all because she was Mark's "wife", when before, they too used to be nice to her, not even treating her like Vince's daughter, but Stephanie, ordering her into the kitchen, telling her to know her place, screamed misogyny!

Crying for about five minutes or so on the bathroom floor, Stephanie looked at herself in the mirror, and didn't like what she saw staring back at her.

She was a McMahon, a proud one at that, but it honestly felt like Mark was intentionally trying to tear her down from the inside out, as if he wanted her to be robotic in mind, body, and spirit.

All the things he had done to her, and he still hadn't explained why!

Why did he abduct her? Why was he hellbent on marrying her? Why he want to destroy her? It made so sense.

Stephanie's big brown eyes were filled with defeat, her shoulders heavy with grief, and her stomach in knots. Trying to pick herself back up mentally, before Mark or anyone else heard her sobs, Steph took a few tissues and wiped at her face. She didn't want Mark to know she was crying again.

Opening the door, Stephanie stepped out carefully, closing the door softly behind her.

Going through that second living area, she saw from the balcony above, and as she kept walking, she found the gorgeous and spacious kitchen. The walls were painted a deep ruby red and had hardwood floors throughout. The countertops were granite, and there were modern appliances, including a stainless steel refrigerator, double ovens, microwave, and dishwasher, located throughout the kitchen.

The cabinets were light oak and there was a breakfast nook, with a bay window, and a round light wood table, with four chairs around it, right in front of the stainless steel sink. In the middle of the kitchen was an island, with a six burner gas stove. Adjacent to that was a granite countertop bar, which could easily fit six people.

The kitchen was very open, and a great room, sitting off to the right, with another fireplace, comfortable looking leather brown sofas and chairs, with a fluffy looking creme carpet, made up that room's décor.

There were also different versions of crosses on the wall, suggesting that Mark wasn't as demonic as he appeared. Walking over to a set of double doors in the great room, Steph got a better view of pool and backyard area through the blinds. Another huge big screen television blanketed much of a wall to the right of the fireplace.

Going back into the kitchen, Steph remembered what Mark had told her. They were expecting some kind of company, and since Mark didn't necessarily tell her what to make, and since she didn't want to go back upstairs, Steph opted to stay downstairs in the kitchen to avoid trouble. Looking inside the refrigerator, Mark had an incredible assortment of various fruit juices, water, various cheeses, fresh fish, lobsters, steaks, tons of milk, from skim to whole fat, and loads of vegetables. The perplexing part of trying to do this, was, other than Mark not telling what exactly to prepare, it was also early morning. What kind of party were they supposed to be having this early in the day and who were they expecting?

Hearing footsteps, Steph ducked down behind the island. Making out two males voices, to what sounded like Farooq and Bradshaw again, Steph heard Bradshaw say, "… And when they get over here, we'll probably do some grill stuff, like hamburgers, maybe some fish, something like that…", before leaving out the patio door.

Peeping her head back up, Stephanie, making sure they were absolutely gone, decided with that bit of information, she'd just do something light and in general.

Growing up, because of the society they were in, Linda and Vince always hosted gatherings at their home, and Linda helped out a lot in the kitchen, with Steph even picking up some of the tricks she had learned from her mother. She didn't know about the crowd, so Steph went for something that she had made all the time for her friends when they had gatherings, which also didn't take a lot of time: artichoke and spinach dip, deviled eggs with country ham toppings, fried chicken wings, and lobster sliders.

Taking everything out the refrigerator that she needed out, Steph opened a door to a huge pantry, climbing up on the step ladder to get all the seasonings she needed, as well.

With any luck, all of this would impress Mark enough to give her back her freedom!

Boiling about two dozen eggs, in a separate saucepan, Stephanie also began melting butter, added in onions, garlic, and spinach as she went. Letting that cook for a moment, Steph took a mallet to the cold pre-packaged lobster and began pounding it, taking all the meat out and adding it into a bowl. Mixing in mayo and pickle relish, Steph also chopped celery and added the to the lobster to the mixture, before rolling up a lemon, squeezed it into the bowl, as well, adding in some salt and pepper as she went.

Making sure she was getting the desired taste, Steph picked up a wooden spoon and tasted her lobster mix, and was thoroughly impressed by the results, especially since she was missing a couple of ingredients she'd usually add.

Tasting it once again, because her hunger was once again getting the better of her, Steph watched Mark walk over to her, making her a very nervous wreck. Walking behind her and looking over her, even though what Mark said wasn't meant to be funny, Steph couldn't help herself from laughing out loud.

"Can you stop lapping in the food?"

Why that made Steph laugh, she didn't know, but it tickled her pink. Getting a bit of the devil in her, Steph took the wooden spoon, turned around, and placed the remnants in Mark's mouth. Chewing it without taking his eyes off of her, Steph, nervous now that she might have upset him, was surprised as heck when Mark told her, "Good. Now, make more of that and keep going."

Shocked beyond belief, Steph simply nodded in return, not wanting to press her luck. Turning her back to him and going back to her work, Mark smacked Steph across the butt with a little force, as she watched wide eyed as he left the the room, but he turned around just at the last second and said, "Don't forget about your other duties, Stephanie."

Watching him as he left out of the room, Steph continued working on the food, frying the chicken wings, creating the deviled eggs, adding the ham on top as garnish, adding the lobster mix onto toasted mini buns, and added the artichoke, cream cheese, and other ingredients into the artichoke and spinach dip.

By the time the doorbell rang to the house, Stephanie was beat beyond belief. Not believing anyone was going to answer the door, Steph went to open it, but Bradshaw had already beat her to it.

Opening the door to about 8 different women, Stephanie counted four blondes, three brunettes, and one red head, all of whom were dressed like cheap hookers! A blonde wore a pair of daisy dukes that showed off the cheeks to her behind, brown cowboy boots, and was using a red bandana as a halter top bra looking thing, while a brunette wore a halter top that barely covered her breasts, midriff and bellybutton ring exposed, a pair of blue jeans, and thigh high leather boots.

"Ladies," Bradshaw said, with a fat cigar hanging out his mouth, smiling from ear to ear. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Oh, you know exactly why we're here, _big daddy_," one of the blondes said, running her finger down Bradshaw's chest.

_So Mark had called a bunch of ring rats over to his house! Him? Of all people? _

Bringing the voluptuous women into the house, Bradshaw, Farooq, and Edge escorted them to back of it, as Bradshaw visibly pushed Stephanie out of the way! Turning around with two women anchoring him, Bradshaw yelled to Steph, "Get that food out to the back, why don't ya. Chop chop!"

Furious, Stephanie looked around for a moment, trying to compose herself. She couldn't believe that Mark was bringing these common whores into _their_ home! _His_ home. Whatever the case!

"_If Mark is going to be serious about this whole "marriage" thing, then he should respect me as his wife!"_

Gathering what little pride and dignity she had left, Steph went back into the kitchen, grabbed four serving trays and started plating the food, then she heard Bradshaw yelling from the outside, "STEPHANIE, WHAT IN THE HELL IS TAKING YOU SO LONG?"

Yes, today was going to be a _very_ long day.


	27. Womanhood

From the moment those broads stepped foot in Mark's house, they had all managed to make Steph's day a living hell!

Not only had they liked her food, apparently, they had liked it too much, requesting that she fried more chicken wings and made more deviled eggs, artichoke and spinach dip, and made sure she doubled up on the lobster sliders.

Problem was, they had run out of everything, and when that ran out, on top of Stephanie having to clean up after herself in the kitchen, they made her serve the food, made her make them drinks, the whole shebang!

One girl even requested Steph give her a shoulder massage!

Bringing out a fresh batch of margaritas that Stephanie had made in the blender, the girls were all scattered about now. Some of them were in the pool, others were swallowing the likes of Gangrel, and even Viscera, to whole under the covered patio, all of them rude as gas being passed.

"Hey, honey," one of the brunettes, who had a Brooklyn like accent, wearing a low cut denim vest, who also had the word "Junior" tattooed across her right breast, called out to Stephanie, motioning her to come over. "What's taking ya so long with those drinks there, huh? I'm gonna die of thirst here."

Bradshaw, who had been giving Stephanie nothing but pure trouble every since she got to Mark's house, with his right arm draped around the brunette's shoulders, in his big Texas accent said, "Um, forgive her, Lexi, she's Mark's new play thing. She ain't learned all the ropes yet."

Leaning up and placing her elbows on the thighs of her leather jeans, Lexi looked almost impressed. "Oh, so you're Mark's new girlfriend?"

Looking over at one of the blondes who was sitting on Mideon's lap, who was nursing a red plastic cup, Lexi looked back at Steph, sneering a bit, and said cruelly, "Not much of a looker are you? But hey, if I could give you a bit of friendly advice: no teeth and yes, swallow."

Causing everyone within earshot to break out in laughter, Stephanie sat the rest of the drinks down and simply walked away before she slapped that woman bald!

_"The nerve of that gutter tramp suggesting that I should…" _

Stomping back into the kitchen, Stephanie, wanting to go back outside and rip Lexi from limb to limb, thought better of it and replenished a tray full of drinks, searching out Mark.

The last time she had seen him, she was passing him upstairs while he was headed back down.

Hearing the thumping of Warrant's "Cherry Pie", Steph followed the music until she got to a door just off the hallway. Opening it, which revealed a flight of stairs that led down into a basement, _"…well swingin' on the front porch, swingin' on the lawn, swingin' where we want, 'cause there ain't nobody home…"_, continued to get louder and louder.

Making her way downstairs, the pulsating music starting to give her a slight headache by the volume alone, Steph noted that like the first bedroom she had tidied up, the walls down here were painted the same blueish gray color. There was a gray and white carpet on the floor, and a small kitchenette, with white cabinets, a granite countertop, and a ceiling fan that made up most of the small hallway.

To the right of the kitchenette was a large bathroom, and across the hall from that was a game room, painted in the same shade of green Christian's room was painted in. Inside were three brown bar chairs, a pool table, an air hockey table, and an old juke box.

After closing the door to that room, Steph opened a door immediately to the left, revealing a theater room. The walls were painted a deep purple color, similar to the purple Mark donned during his early years in the WWF. There were six reclining leather chairs, with cup holders in each arm, a popcorn machine, a bar filled with tons of booze, and a huge screen that was at least 120 inches or so wide.

The music was still thumping and Stephanie had yet to find Mark, so she closed the door to the theater and decided to check one last door before she would abandon her hunt and head back to the main floor.

Upon opening it, however, Steph wished that she hadn't, because Mark was sitting in the middle of white sectional, most of which covered the entire room, the color on the walls painted a dark blue color, getting kissed on all over by a blonde and the red head! The red head was kissing all over the left side of his neck and shoulder, while the blonde seemed to enjoy suckling on his right nipple.

With a bottle of Jack Daniels grasped firmly in his right hand, which was resting on top of his knee, Steph, for the first time ever, felt jealousy creep all through her body!

She couldn't believe that Mark, after all that "you're mines" mumbo jumbo he had been spewing for the past two days, was actually in the basement with these two jezebels, who combined probably had more miles on them than Route 77 and the Lincoln Tunnel, allowing them to bottom feed all over him, and his wife, who he had forced into marriage, was standing right there in front of him!

Sitting the drinks down extra hard on the table that sat in front of them, the two vixens didn't even jump when the glasses began clinking together. Mark, who was looking up at Stephanie darkly, didn't say a word, either. He just allowed the two women to continue sucking and caressing all over his body.

Stephanie, turning and walking away quickly, before the tears could fall, ran back up the steps to the upstairs area in a furry. She didn't understand why Mark was doing all this to her. She couldn't process why he was trying to intentionally hurt her. Steph was mentally tired of running these same questions through her mind over and over again, but damn it, her heart, for whatever reason, was hurting like hell, and she couldn't figure out why!

Throughout the rest of the day, Stephanie constantly ran back and forth between the girls and the Ministry, all of them demanding this and that. Along with trying to please Mark still, and clean up his house, making a room out of his closet again, folding clothes, putting others away to be washed, keeping the restrooms cleaned after people constantly kept running in and out of them, and thinking about Mark downstairs with those two harlots, Stephanie realized that she had taken on the hardest job she had ever tacked on in her life, with every muscle in her body screaming for relaxation.

She was so fatigued and exhausted by 1 o'clock, when it seemed like everyone with the exception of her, was passed out drunk somewhere, Stephanie, unable to take another step, simply passed out in the first bedroom she saw.

* * *

><p>It was around 5 o'clock when Mark, after Bella and Dee Dee had their fill of him and passed out from the alcohol consumption, finally decided to go search for Stephanie. Mark wasn't much for a crowd, and he did his business in private, which is why he grabbed the first two women he saw and headed for the basement.<p>

Going back upstairs, Mark took a look around and remarkably, other than various individuals passed out on his patio area, everything seemed to be in order. Walking into the kitchen, despite the party filled chaos surrounding them, everything was neat and clean, as well.

Feeling like someone was up to something, Mark looked around, but only found Paul, who eating a ham and cheese sandwich, was making his way into the kitchen, holding up a finger as he was passing, saying, "Forgot the mustard."

Mark, who had his long dark hair down this time, asked then, "Seen Steph?"

Paul, who didn't even look up, as he was too busy applying the mustard to his sandwich replied quickly, "Nope. Un uh."

Putting the mustard back in the refrigerator and walking back up to his room, Mark looked in each room for Stephanie, but couldn't find her in any of them. After not finding her downstairs, and knowing she wouldn't be outside, Mark decided to take his search upstairs.

Opening the first bedroom door on the left off the staircase, Mark found Stephanie, sprawled out on the bedroom floor, as she was not even able to make it to the bed. Rubbing his chin hair then looking around, Mark picked Stephanie's incredibly light and prone body up off the ground and carried her into his bedroom.

Feeling Stephanie had had punishment enough, and wasn't going to ever make the mistake of running to hug anyone, let alone Austin, Mark walked into his master bedroom, gently lying Stephanie down in the bed.

Going out into the hallway and calling for Saphirra, Mark ordered the girl to whip Stephanie something up in the kitchen, since more than likely, she hadn't eaten all day. Once he had Steph wrapped up in the covers, Mark sat back in the bed and watched as Stephanie slept, looking as peaceful as ever.

She must have slept for another hour or two before she realized that she wasn't on the floor anymore.

Feeling the softness of a bed, Steph, sitting up, looked around, and after wiping her eyes with both hands, saw Mark sitting in the bed next to her!

Looking around like she had seen a ghost, Steph nearly bolted!

For one, she didn't know what time it was, and two, she just knew that he was going to be pissed about not finishing the rest of her chores. She wasn't trying to be conditioned to his rules and regulations, but she didn't want to be subjected another punishment, either.

Almost leaping from the bed, despite the fact that she was still groggy with sleep, Mark grabbed her by her arm, saying, "No, no, no, no, no, you stay here," pointing down to the bed.

"But I haven't finished …"

"Shh … Ok? Don't worry about that now. You hungry?"

Holding a pillow to her chest and nodding, Mark got up out of the bed and as soon as he opened the door, Saphirra entered, holding a tray that contained a juicy looking sirloin steak, mashed potatoes, with steamed broccoli on the side.

Sitting the tray down in front of Stephanie's lap, Steph looked up to see Ryan giving her the evil eye. What had Stephanie ever done to Ryan she did not know, but whatever it was, Ryan was seemingly holding it to heart.

Going back over to Mark, who rubbed her still slightly swollen jawline, Mark saw Ryan out of the room, before walking back over and sitting back on the bed next to Stephanie, who wasn't eating.

Mark, looking perplexed, looked over at Stephanie and said, "Well, hell, if you're not going to eat it, then I guess I can."

Steph then got the message and picked up her fork and began eating. Again, it didn't taste funny, so she figured it wasn't poison.

Looking up every now and again to see if Mark was still staring at her, which he was, Stephanie ate quietly. Her whole body was so sore that she didn't even want to move her jaw muscles. And now Mark was just casually sitting by her as if nothing was wrong? After finishing her meal, Mark sat the plate aside and asked her, "You ok?"

Why that question triggered Stephanie to cry, she had no Earthly idea, but it did. She didn't want to, she was afraid Mark would get upset with her again, but she did, shaking her head furiously, her now frizzy hair falling all over her face.

She missed her friends, she missed her family, and she was just too uncertain about what was going to happen to her. She was tired, achy, everyone was being mean to her, and she just couldn't escape this nightmare.

Mark had always been a person Stephanie thought was very laid back, smart, friendly even, but now, he just seemed like the devil! Sobbing and saying, "No," Steph felt Mark reach out and stroke her hair. Absently, through flowing tears, she began airing her grievances.

"Mark … I don't … I don't understand what I've done to you. Just what have I done to .. to .. make you just hate me. I've always been nice to you, and now .. now it just seems like … like … maybe I did something to you, because …"

Scooting down into the bed, Mark put his right palm against his head, resting it there, while he took a lone thumb and flicked away one of Stephanie's tears. Stephanie, trailing off, watched on as Mark took his thumbed and trailed it across her face, down her lips, and down her throat.

Blinking, Stephanie looked into Mark's green eyes, while he nodded and asked, "Mmm hmm, what else?"

Looking around at the bed for a moment before she continued, Stephanie said, "I just don't understand. You stalked for weeks, Mark, you had the Ministry abduct me twice, then you force me into marriage, you spank me, I had to clean your entire house, and those girls you were with … I don't even know if I'll…", trailing off, Stephanie wanted to say she didn't even know if she would ever see her friends and family again, but she chose not to.

Mark had specifically told her to forget about her past, but how could she, when her past made up so much of who she was today? Looking down at the bed, Stephanie continued, "No one here seems to even give a damn about me here, and I'm just confused, why…"

Taking his index finger and shushing her with it, Mark pulled Steph to him, chest to chest, cupped her left butt cheek, while his right hand stroked the right side of her face gently. Looking down at her, Mark said in a very deep, husky type voice, "Stephanie, you may think I'm a cold and evil bastard, but, _I _would never hurt you. Think about that, Steph. Think about how _Daddy_ allowed to you even be in this position. It's not my fault, it's his."

Appalled once again that Mark was even insinuating that her father didn't care about her well being, Stephanie spoke up on her dad's behalf. "Mark, why are you saying this, my dad, he…he … loves me …, he would never allow for anyone to intention—"

Silencing her with another tug on her butt, caressing it in now within the palm of his hand, Mark, nose to nose with Stephanie, cut her off. "Oh, he loves you alright, but he loves success more. Please don't be naive, Steph."

Still utterly confused as to why this man was saying the things he was saying about her own father, who was once, and more than likely, still was, his employer, Steph asked confusingly, "Mark, what are you talking about? Why are you saying all these things? I thought … I thought you liked my dad?"

Still caressing her buttocks in his hand, Mark continued, "Did you ever think about the first time you were 'abducted', Stephanie? Do you ever think about how Shane just conveniently left you in Vince's office, and there were only two moron cops there to protect you on the outside?"

Moving his left hand now and cupping her left breast now, Mark continued, "The second time, after I beat Shamrock, wouldn't a rational thinking human being leave the arena immediately, especially if his one and only ally had just gotten beaten 1,2,3 in the middle of the ring? Why wait around for Rock and Austin's match? Who comes first, you or them?"

Frowning, Stephanie realized that her father made a mistake in that aspect, however, she also recognized that Vince had a lot on his plate. He was really trying to appease everyone, including Austin, and it cost Stephanie more than it had cost anyone else. Trying to get that out, she was cut off once again.

"After we got married on national TV, he could have had the every cop within this state spread out from border to border looking for you, but he didn't. You know why, Stephanie? Because the board of directors, with your _mommy_, Linda, on it, urged him not to. The ratings were too high, advertising was too high. You, Stephanie…", pointing a finger into her face now, "…were the sacrificial lamb for the WWF. Shane has already shown you his true colors. He went off to control the Corporation, while big bad Undertaker was making his little sister's life a living hell. And Vince and Linda … well…"

Infuriated, Stephanie tried to sit up, but Mark had his right arm wrapped around her lower body area. Stephanie could not believe that Mark was actually trying to justify all what he had put her through off on her parents!

Realizing just how psychotic and evil Mark really was, blind with almost rage, Stephanie asked without caution, "Why are you saying these things to me? My parents love me! Shane, he loves me too, they just …"

"Oh, really, Stephanie, if they love you so much, tell me why last night, when it was just Saphirra keeping an eye out on you, where was Vince? Where was Shane? Where was the Corporation? Where were all these big wig attorneys and lawyers? You sure Vince isn't writing you out of his will as we speak?"

That's when Stephanie, having heard enough slander against her father, reached back and slapped Mark with an open right hand, as hard as she could, even if his face didn't budge. Steph, realizing what she did, didn't care!

She was mad with fury, and she wanted to take some of the anger and frustration and hurt that Mark had caused her for weeks and weeks now, out on him! Steph reached back again and tried to slap Mark's face once more, but this time, he caught her hand almost effortlessly.

Holding her down in the bed by both arms, almost all of his weight pinning her down, Steph tried to anticipate what next Mark was going to do to her, but she never in a million years dreamed that he would lean down and kiss her!

His lips touching hers, Mark, preoccupied with trying to pull Steph's pants down, let go of her left hand, as he sensitively rubbed two fingers between the folds of her vagina. Gasping for air as Mark slowly began to push inside of her, fondling and tickling her wet insides, Steph allowing his name to escape from her lips, scratched up Mark's back, arching hers in true to goodness passion!

Leaving her lips and sliding down some, Mark pulled off Stephanie's shirt and bra with one quick motion, throwing the garments on the floor. Taking his fingers and moving them in and out, both slowly and deliberately, Mark clasped his lips around Stephanie's dainty nipple, causing her to arch her back in total bliss!

Panting, looking up into the sky, Steph slowly began to lick her lips, rubbing her hands up and down Taker's strong back, hissing with pleasure, as Mark reached out and grabbed Stephanie's right leg, wrapping it around his waist, pushing his fingers further into her, Steph's sweet juices spilling out onto his hand, while Steph continued to claw at his back and shoulders.

Molding her sweet and tender flesh, Mark switched from one breast to the other, tonguing Steph's perky and erect nipple as he went.

Taking Steph's left leg now and hiking it up onto his shoulder, Mark abandoned Steph's breast for a moment to nip at her tender flesh, starting right above her pelvis, methodically making his way back up, licking intently around the swells of her breasts, in the middle of her mounds, leaving a sequence of kisses all over her chest, finally settling at her neck, biting and sucking with every intention on bruising her silky smooth flesh … _his_ silky smooth flesh.

While Mark's head was buried into Stephanie's neck, he pulled his fingers out of her vagina, leaving Stephanie to involuntarily whimper with wanting and lust. Knowing women and their sweet spots like this back of his hand, Mark could feel a climax on the horizon as Steph's panting increased, small pools of sweat beginning to settle in certain places on her body, and feeling the wild contractions around his fingers, Mark knew that Stephanie was wound up tighter than a string on a guitar, and he didn't want it that way.

Leaning into her ear again, Mark placed a lone finger back into Stephanie, fondling for a moment, while he bit her ear gingerly, nipping at it lightly, licking the corners and the outside, speaking into her with heavy command, "Spread yourself open for me, baby."

Gasping from the shock of what was just ordered her to do, Stephanie didn't even have time to protest, with Mark, taking the flatness of his open hand, smacked Stephanie's swollen vaginal lips, causing Steph to gasp with shock. Plucking at her clit only once, forcing a shiver to rake Stephanie's entire body, Mark whispered into her ear again, "I said open yourself up for _daddy_, Stephanie."

Well aware that Mark had referred to himself as "daddy", Stephanie, for the first time in her life, reached down and spread her lips apart, much to her own amazement.

Stepping back and eyeing _his_ prize, Mark crawled back into the bed and whispered into Stephanie's ear, licking along her jawbone as he spoke, "Stroke yourself for me baby. Do it!"

Hearing the urgency in his voice, not knowing what was coming over her, Steph brought her index finger into the inside of her vagina, stroking slowly, manipulating the insides of her lips, pinching them, casually stroking herself. For whatever reason, Stephanie found that touching herself extremely exotic, moaning with anticipation, biting her lips, and using her right hand to snake back up her body, pinching her own nipple, arching her back with deep passion again.

Going back to suck on her neck again, Mark reached down and inserted a finger of his own into Stephanie, both of their fingers intertwining, tickling and toying with Stephanie's fleshy nether regions.

Unknowingly, Stephanie bit her lip and yelled out louder than expected, causing a carnivorous smile to steadily edge across Mark's face. Moving his face right above Stephanie's abdomen, pushing her back into the bed, while both of them simultaneously inched closer and closer to bringing Stephanie to climax, Mark, looking up at Stephanie with both sexual desire and deviance, placed his warm and inviting mouth over Stephanie's pulsating clit, holding her squirming body in place, and he sucked heavily at Steph's pink and puffy mound!

Still stroking her insides, Steph began to buck like a caged animal! She had never ever felt anything quite this sensual and mind-numbing before in her life! Twisting and turning her body, screaming, howling for "Help!", Mark took his tongue and slowly began to stream downwards, licking and lapping at the inside of her vagina, all the while looking up at Stephanie, who was burning red all over with desire and unbridled joy!

Moving his finger and his tongue in and out of her with different strokes now, Stephanie reveled in the fact that Mark was tasting and pleasing her so, shaking all over.

While her left leg resided on Mark's shoulder, and her left leg was still firmly wrapped around his waist, Steph's hands went all over the place, pinching at her own nipples, pulling her hair, pulling _his_ hair, clawing at his heavy chest underneath his shirt, literally trying to make a home anywhere she could place them.

Feeling like she was about to go mad, and Mark, knowing Steph was almost at her peak, looked up at his woman devilishly, ordering her to repeat his words, "Tell me you want it, say it, Stephanie, say it!" pushing his tongue and finger back into her at once, forcing the once meek and shy daddy's little girl to become a ravenous, wanton daddy's little girl.

Screaming as loud as she could, wanting, for whatever reason, despite all of what Mark had done to her and her family, Stephanie, in between pants yelled, "I want you! Baby, I want you! I want you! Oh, God, I want you, I want you…!"

Lightly biting her clit and slipping another finger into her, Mark, having Stephanie break down and beg for him, moved his right hand to the fastening of his pants. Still biting and licking at her inflamed clitoris, her pink insides almost setting him on fire, as well, Mark looked up at Stephanie and commanded her to say, "Say, 'I want you daddy.' Tell me you want me, Stephanie!"

"I want you … I want you daddy. Oh, my God, I need you daddy. Please … please … Oh, God, please …!"

Standing upright now and taking his black shirt off now, balling it up and throwing it in the corner, revealing his chiseled chest and magnificent stomach structure, pulling his pants and boxers past his knees, releasing his rock hard member, Steph feasted her eyes upon Mark's bulging, and quite large and long, penis.

Her voice catching in her chest as she watched closely, fascinated actually, as Mark took his hand and began stroking himself, Mark lied down on Stephanie slowly, grabbing a handful of her hair, kissing her wildly, their tongues intertwining.

Grabbing Stephanie's legs and placing them around his waist, Stephane felt Mark pressing into her. Steph had read one or two Harlequin Romance novels, and she figured that there would be some discomfort losing her virginity.

Pressing into her slightly, Stephanie tried to still herself for the onslaught that her friends had told her about and that was for sure coming. Lacing his fingers in Steph's sweaty hair, Taker looked into Stephanie's soul seemingly, while his stiff and rigid penis disappeared into her more and more. Not feeling her protective barrier at first, Mark pressed further, until Stephanie let out an "Aah", putting a dip in her back, but it wasn't from the pleasure.

Shushing her by placing his lips back onto hers, with one big pump, Mark pushed passed the last layer of Stephanie's youth, causing her scratch up and down Mark's back in agony.

Drowning the sounds of her virginity being taken, Mark leaned down onto her, kissing her gently, while her shaky hands rubbed up and down his back again. Waiting for the pain to subside a bit, Taker rubbed Stephanie's sweaty forehead, and started rocking his hips back and forth, making sure she could get used to his size before picking up the speed. Slowly moving back and forth, Mark spread Stephanie's left leg a bit wider, biting now inside of her neck.

Feeling the pain ease away with each pump inside of her, Stephanie started to moan under Mark's large frame. Squeezing him tightly, gasping for air, and licking her lips, Stephanie whimpered with overwhelming emotion.

Whispering out "Mark!" as Mark pushed deeper inside of her, gently picking up the speed of his thrusts as the seconds turned into minutes, Stephanie began sucking lightly on Mark's shoulder and neck, savoring the moment.

Moving his hips around in a circle, Stephanie felt herself get lightheaded a bit, her nose, the tips of her toes and fingers, tingling as well. It was similar to the feeling she got when she and Mark came close to having sex back at the hotel room, but this feeling was so much more intense!

Suddenly whispering into her ear, telling her to "Come for me baby," while he thumbed her clit then suddenly rolled his hips around in another circle, giving one hard thrust inside of her, Stephanie could have sworn she saw big flashes of vibrant color explode around her, her mouth suddenly dry from all the air she was taking in, her thighs and other muscles tensed up, and she YELLED!

Feeling like every ounce of sexual energy was being drained from her body, Stephanie yelled and yelled until it almost felt like she was going hoarse! It was as if everything in the world, Vince, Shane, Linda, the WWF, everything, for those few brief moments, all disappeared.

Closing her eyes to savor the moment, darkness overtook Stephanie, leaving her a broken heap of a woman.


	28. A Ride with the Deadman

Coming down off her climatic high, feeling her chest plummeting up and down, her nose and fingertips still tingling, every nerve standing on end, Steph, wasted and spent, held her hands across Mark's shoulders, as he continued to silently rub across her head and hair for a moment.

Kissing her once more, Mark rolled off of her and rested his head within the palm of his right hand. Staring at her from the side, Stephanie, who could barely catch her breath, turned her head to Mark slowly, pulling the covers over her body.

Somehow roused by her innocence, with his long dark hair falling over his hand and shoulders, Taker gave an honest chuckle, before snatching the covers off of her chest. Flicking her nipple with his finger, Mark, looking over at the clock on the wall, seeing it was a little past 9pm, realized that he and Steph had sex for a whole hour plus, and here Steph was, still covering up her breasts?

Grunting, Mark picked Steph up almost as if she was a baby, her legs wrapped around his waist, carrying her into the bathroom, kissing her along the way. Steph, obviously still sore, but not to the extent she had expected, couldn't believe that she had not only had sex with Mark, but she was now kissing him, French kissing at that!

Running the shower until it was nice and steamy, Mark, with his right hand planted firmly in the middle of Steph's bottom, stepped into the shower, the water hitting them both as they got in.

Putting her feet on the ground, Steph all the sudden filled with shyness again.

Here she was, in the middle of the shower, naked as the day she was born, _with Mark Calaway_, the man who had not only kidnapped her, but who had also stollen the WWF away from her father!

On top of that, Steph had allowed this man to to not only take her virginity, something she was hellbent on preserving until she got married … well … married to someone in a consensual relationship, but the fact that they didn't use a condom honestly scared her!

Mark was her first, but judging by the way he worked her body into a frenzy, and how the boys would low key talk about all the various women they had all slept with backstage before and after shows, and no telling what they talked about on the road, she didn't know if she was playing with death or what!

"_What was I thinking?"_

That's when she realized, she wasn't thinking. She had allowed a man who was twelve years older than her to penetrate her, not just physically, but mentally, as well.

All the things Mark had done to her, and Steph had sex with him? She didn't protest?

Mark had already formalized a very unpopular opinion about her family. Did he think she was easy now? What if Vince or Shane found out? If this got out to anyone, Mark would be in serious trouble, and there wouldn't be enough lawyers on the entire planet to save him from a vengeful lawsuit.

Lathering up a towel, Mark reached between Stephanie's legs and rubbed gently enough not to hurt her, cupping her left breast simultaneously, his warm mouth on her shoulder, sucking lightly.

Although Steph hissed a bit, Mark kept moving slowly, thumbing her nipple as he went, looking at the towel when he pulled it back up, seeing a spot of blood mixed in with the soap. Steph, if she didn't know better, although a bit swollen and sore, actually enjoyed the small buzzing and tingling between her legs.

Did it hurt having her virginity taken? Yes, but not as much as she read about, her friends clearly exaggerating, possibly to scare her. Taking the towel from Mark, their fingers meeting briefly, Steph continued to clean herself, but then, rubbing slowly back and forth, Steph felt something that felt odd.

Holding the towel in her left hand, Steph looked back at Mark, who was washing himself up, however, still watching with earnest.

Taking a finger and lightly rubbing over her vagina, then rubbing her fingers together, Steph felt a substance that was creamy. Picking her hand up and rubbing her fingers together, Steph, through the steam in the shower, made out a thick, creamy white substance.

Although she was innocent sexually, well, not anymore at least, she wasn't innocent when it came to common sense, and something in the pit of her stomach told her that Mark had … no … what was she thinking?

Steph told herself that Mark had been with plenty of women. This wasn't his first dance or rodeo, and he wasn't some homely schoolboy, either. She was panicking and must have been making things up as she went.

Looking back at him, Mark had already washed the soap off his body, and as soon as Steph was about to inquire about that funny white substance, Mark, fully naked, his long hair wet, falling down his back, his toned body ripped with muscles, left out of the shower, leaving Stephanie alone.

Confused as ever, Steph continued to shower for another ten minutes or so, and got out herself, wrapping a towel around herself. Looking at the water on the floor, Steph couldn't help but to think, even with the great sex they had, Mark would somehow make her mop all of this up.

Walking back into the bedroom, Steph gasped as the site of Mark standing there, drying himself off, unclothed, making her heart almost skip a beat.

Chuckling again, Marl looked over to Stephanie with that devilish grin, as Steph stood there doe eyed like a baby. Sure, she had just had sex with him, but she still couldn't quite figure out how he was so comfortable just standing around like that. Did he have an agenda or something?

Putting on a pair of black Calvin Klein boxer briefs, Mark looked up at Stephanie and said, "You have got to chill out. That ain't all what you're going to be seeing."

Steph, who still held the towel up to her, didn't have any earthly idea as to what Mark was talking about, and this time, she didn't want to know either. "I just don't understand how you're just so comfortable … you know … being …"

"Naked?" Mark said with a hint of amusement in his voice, throwing on a white wife beater, black boxers, and a pair of gray sweat pants.

Turning bright red, Stephanie looked around at the floor.

Walking up to her, Mark put his hands on his hips, while Steph still casted her glance downwards, and with absolutely no warning whatsoever, he snatched the towel away from her body.

Letting out a small shriek, he then picked her up by her underarms and threw her on the bed, straddling her as he did so.

Taking his fingers and rubbing them up her legs and thighs, Steph closed her eyes as Mark's sensual touch was making her melt like butter and she didn't want to. Leaning down into her ear, still tickling her tingling flesh, Mark told Stephanie, "I told you to get used to this touch, Stephanie, because these hands …", taking his left hand and caressing her breast, Mark continued.

"… Will be the only hands touching you from now on."

Slipping a finger into her body, his voice raspy with urgency, Mark, moving his finger in and out now, said, "Get used to being naked in front of me. And get used to …", then suddenly reaching out and thumbing her clitoris once more, making Steph's toes literally curl, "…get used to the fact that Vince isn't your only _daddy_ now."

Pulling his finger out, Steph wide eyed on the bed, breathing in up and down heavily, looked up at the ceiling, shocked, while Mark just stared down at her for a moment.

Frozen in the bed, Steph moved her head over to the bedroom door where Mark had walked over to.

"I'll be back later on. Saphirra will be in here soon to help you with anything."

Walking out the room and closing the door, Steph continued to lie motionless in bed, wondering about just what she had done.

* * *

><p>As Mark walked around the house, looking ever so pissed off, calling out for Paul, he couldn't help but to think about how Stone Cold Steve Austin had been the bane of his existence for more than a year now.<p>

Walking into the kitchen and holding his head down at the bar, his hands gripping the edge of it, his muscles clenching with anger, Mark suddenly realized how much he actually _hated_ Austin, more than anyone else on the entire planet. His hatred for his weakling of a brother Kane didn't even extend that far.

Austin had cost him the WWF title one too many times, and with his head still down, him pounding his huge fist on the countertop, he knew that on Monday, as the new majority owner of the WWF, that there indeed be a new WWF champion, and it would be him!

"All our plans are coming together, quit stressing yourself out, quit stressing yourself out" said Paul coming up behind him, eating a slice of pizza. Mark, holding his head up, was not in the mood. He wanted that belt off Austin and he wanted off his fast. Every time he heard that damn glass shattering, a piece of his soul felt like it was shattering with it. The time to strike was now.

Picking what appeared to be an anchovy off his pizza, Paul, positioning himself on one of the bar stools said jokingly, "So have Stephanie's legs made it back from their trip yet?"

Raising an eyebrow similar to the Rock, Mark looked up at Paul curiously. Paul, knowing he had Mark cornered, joked, "I mean, last I _heard_, one was in New York and the other one was in LA!"

Giving out a rambunctious snicker, Paul nodded his head back and forth, while Mark, still leaning down a bit, rubbed his hand through the long hair on his chin.

Did Mark care that anyone who had a set of ears probably knew that he and Steph had consummated their marriage? Absolutely not. In fact, pretty soon, the entire world would know. All in due time, of course.

Calming his laughter down now, Paul, taking a hefty bite out the pizza, inserted, "Oh, I just got off the phone with the head of match scheduling and Monday night, in San Diego, you're going to get your belt back."

Almost smiling at that news, Mark sat down in one of the bar stools and opened and closed his right hand steadily.

With every fiber of his being, he was ready to put a stomping on Austin, and if everything went according to plan, with no Vince and Shane in sight, and his plans for the Corporation to all but disband, if Austin got through what he was going to go through on Monday night, he wouldn't even want to wrestle in the WWF anymore, let alone be it's champion.

Looking over at Paul who was demolishing another slice of pizza, Mark asked, "What about Lawler?"

Looking up from his slice momentarily, Paul, clearly puzzled, asked, "What about Lawler?"

Mark, who had heard Jerry's comments about he and the Ministry over the past few weeks, being nothing a proverbial mouthpiece for Vince McMahon, criticizing his judgment, and trying to create propaganda against him, was tired of the King's little agenda just to please Vince, and when Monday night rolled around, Jerry would have a surprise waiting for him, as well.

Looking down at the floor, still opening and closing his hand, Mark told Paul, "He's going to have a match Monday night."

Paul, the blubber around his neck shaking as he moved his head back and forth, asked wildly, "He is?"

With Mark nodding darkly, Paul went on to ask, "Against who?"

* * *

><p>Stephanie didn't have any clothes on, so she sat up in the bed, with her knees up to her chin, the covers wrapped around her, thinking about she and Mark.<p>

Stephanie, despite all what Mark had put her through, mentally torturing her and her family, forcing her into marriage, spanking her, making her clean up his house, subjecting her to public humiliation from his "friends", had sex with man who had subjected her to all the torment she had been going through for the past three months.

Although Mark was a brute, Stephanie truly believed that if she would have told Mark no, he honestly wouldn't have forced sex onto her … but thinking on, he did have other ways of getting into one's head, and she knew she was simply outmanned when he began playing mind games with her.

And that's another thing that struck her as odd.

When she and Mark had sex, she didn't feel like he was _making_ her do anything. Just like in the hotel room, she felt as if she was a willing participant in his games.

Maybe it was because Mark knew how to thread her body so. Every nerve, good or bad, Mark could touch. He seemed to thrive off of making her panic, making her succumb to his will, his touch. But Steph couldn't figure out if she liked being Mark's lover or not.

On one hand, she kept telling herself to just do what Mark told her to do, and she would live a happy life, at least until her father could get their whole "marriage" thing annulled, but on the other hand, she really did want to know if she truly liked being Mark's wife … or if it was only just the sex?

True, Steph never did look at Mark in a sexual way before all this. If anything, she always looked up to him in a lot of ways for being the locker room leader that he was, but now, she didn't look at him like that anymore.

Stephanie now looked at him with grown woman eyes, finding almost everything he did intriguing. The way he walked, the way he talked, everything about him, even if she wasn't supposed to feel this way, it made her feel some type of way … and now that was frightening her.

If Mark knew how Stephanie really felt, torn between good and evil seemingly, there'd definitely be some repercussions. And that was something else she couldn't quite figure out.

_"For arguments sake,"_ Steph thought, _"Let's say I do decide to stay with him. Do I want to live a life where I'm constantly walking on eggshells, afraid of making him mad? Afraid that he's going to punish me? Who wants to live like that?"_

Steph was such in a deep thought, she didn't even notice Saphirra had entered the room, with a batch of fresh clothes in her hand, until she walked in front of her, momentarily distracting her worried thoughts.

Dropping the clothes down on the bed in front of her, Saphirra looked down at Stephanie with a deep something in her eyes. Steph, who looked up at her, could not figure this woman out.

What had Mark exactly done to her? Why did she now look as if she hated the entire world? When Steph used to see Ryan backstage at Raw, whether she was around Kenny or not, Ryan was always very jovial. Sure she liked men, seemed to crave for their attention at times, but she was a sweet girl nonetheless.

This new Ryan, however, looked just as evil as Mark did at times, as if she had no soul whatsoever.

_"Maybe she should be Mark's bride then,"_ Steph thought to herself jokingly.

"Master gave me these clothes to give to you. He wants you to dress and rest. He also wants me apply more ointment to you."

Even though the burning of Stephanie's backside had successfully ceded, it seemed like Mark was taking the extra initiative to make sure she was all healed up. Whether or not Mark had an ulterior motive behind doing this remained a mystery, however.

Turning over onto her stomach, Stephanie allowed for Saphirra to apply the ointment to her bottom, and after finishing, helped Stephanie into her undergarments and supplied her with a tampon, just in case she was spotting.

However, the way that Saphirra held onto the tampon after she held it out for Stephanie to take, with Steph almost having to pry it from Saphirra's hands, suggested to Stephanie that something else besides evil had taken over Saphirra, but, in no way, shape, nor form did Steph voluntarily want to find out.

After she put on a black shirt, with a small WWF logo sitting to the right shoulder of it and a pair of gray sweat pants and socks, Saphirra left out of the room, leaving Stephanie to sit there alone again.

The remote was sitting beside the bed, but Stephanie didn't know if she was even allowed to watch TV. What if Mark got mad at her?

In the end, Steph decided to just sit in the bed and wait … for what, she wasn't so quite sure about.

* * *

><p>Sitting outside on his favorite motorcycle, arms folded up, looking into the nighttime starry sky, Mark had a lot on his mind, and all of his thoughts revolved around the WWF.<p>

If Vince, or if any of the white shirts in Connecticut, thought that peanuts could persuade him to sell his stock of the company back to Vince, then they had another thing coming.

The WWF was at an all time high. Nitro, while still doing big numbers, was getting trampled week after week now in the ratings by Raw, so they had to be insane to think Mark was going to sell his portion of the company back for spare change.

And Mark seriously hoped that the board of directors honestly didn't think that he was all of the sudden going to be this consummate business professional, showing up to various meetings in Armani suits, carrying a briefcase, sporting a very business like haircut.

No.

Now that he was running the show, things were going to be done differently now, and as long as he had ownership of the WWF, everyone, from the Divas to the other superstars, to the refs to the road agents, _everyone_ was going to feel his wrath.

One, because he could, and two, because of Stone Cold Steve Austin.

As long as Austin wore the strap, the entire roster, and anyone else employed for the WWF, was going to suffer. Monday night couldn't come fast enough for him. For the first time in a year and nine months, he alone would be standing atop of the WWF Mountain, and there wasn't a damn thing that Austin or anyone else for that matter could do about it.

As far as Stephanie went, she too would begin to see things his way, whether by choice or by force. As his wife, Mark fully intended on Stephanie being 100% submissive to him.

In the beginning, when he and Paul began formulating their plan to abduct Stephanie, Mark honestly did it so he could gain control over the World Wrestling Federation, to scare Vince into knowing that he was very serious in his intentions.

He knew, seeing how Vince manipulated everyone around him, making them bend to his will, if there was one thing that he loved more than manipulation and his ownership of the World Wrestling Federation, it was his precious baby girl.

Initially, all Stephanie was meant to be was a pawn in his well played game of chess, however, over time, the cat and mouse game between he and Steph became all too real, and whether or not Vince had the documents delivered just the way he told him to was neither here nor there, because at that point, Mark was hellbent on making Stephanie his new bride. Nothing and no one was going to stop him, and just like he predicted, he succeeded.

Could Stephanie be a hellcat? Absolutely. She still had a fire in her that honestly turned him on, and he didn't mind that, _but_ when it came down to business, Stephanie would have to learn to stay in a woman's place.

Hearing something creep up behind him, Mark turned his head to see Zeus, his beloved Mastiff, making his way to his owner.

Weighing a full 55 pounds, Zeus was one of the few things on this earth Mark had confidence in trusting, even going as far as calling his four-legged companion a friend. Dogs were more loyal than some people, and that especially stood true in the case of Zeus.

Even though he had only owned him for a couple of months, Zeus had already proven that he was far more trustworthy than some of the people in his life, and that was perfectly alright with that; he liked to know where he stood with people.

Bending down to rub Zeus' head and swollen belly, thinking about all his plans, Mark turned his head slightly again, this time on pure instinct alone.

With her brown hair giving off a very messy, sexy vibe, Stephanie, with the sweatshirt slightly falling off her shoulder, stood in the doorway, watching Mark pet his dog. Continuing to pat Zeus, Mark looked back and Stephanie and motioned for her to come to him.

Normally, when Zeus met people for the first time, he was very protective of Mark, but for some

reason, Zeus didn't go into attack mode; he didn't even give off a semblance of a bark. In fact, when Stephanie made her way over to him, bending down for her to pet him, he was already warmed up to her touch.

Rubbing his stomach vigorously, Stephanie said softly, "I didn't know you had a dog," then looking over at Mark's bike, added, "I didn't know you had motorcycles, either."

Sucking his teeth, with his arms still folded, Mark grunted out, "Mmm hmm…"

Steph, who actually loved animals, even though her parents wouldn't let her have a pet of her own, excited exclaimed, "He's a big boy! What's his name," finally looking up at him.

Looking down at her, Mark could see that Stephanie, even though she was an adult, still had a lot of innocence about her, which he honestly found refreshing. Most of the women that he dealt with were either gold diggers, run of the mill whores, professional prostitutes, or a combination of all three. Steph was still a good girl in nature, however, that would all soon change.

Answering her question, Mark spoke up lowly, "Zeus."

In a baby like voice, Stephanie began to pick up the pace pampering Zeus with love.

"Oh, he's just a big baby. Zeusy! I can't wait to take you home wit…"

Looking up at him, realizing what she was just about to say, Mark's face frowning up more than usual, Steph continued to pet Zeus in silence. Still feeling Mark's white hot glare burning a hole through her back, Stephanie looked over at Taker's purple bike and attempted to break the ice. "When you'd get this?"

Knowing her game and how she was about to play it, Mark decided to answer her anyway.

"91".

Nodding, Steph, even though it was nighttime, noted the unique design of it the bike, purple, with black wavy designs throughout, and several skulls on the front of it, decided to inquire more. "Does it still run?"

For whatever reason, Mark always seemed to get riled up when someone asked him if his bikes still ran or not. Even when he was on the road, he always managed to take good care of his bikes, making sure they were always in pristine condition, so if he was sensitive about anything, he was definitely sensitive about his bikes.

Starting it up, the loud roaring coming from the engine honestly hurting Stephanie's ears a bit, Mark turned the bike off after a few moments, allowing the answer to sink into Stephanie's brain.

"_Ok, note to self: never ask him does his bike run again."_

Standing up now, about to make her exit, Mark reached out and grabbed Stephanie's hand, which was smoother than silk. Rubbing his thumb over it, causing Stephanie's belly to fill with butterflies, Mark asked, "Why'd you come out here?"

Pressing her lips inside her mouth and looking around at the beautiful scenery, even if it was too dark to take in the full beauty of it all, Stephanie answered meekly, "Well, to be honest, it had been almost two hours since you left, and I just wanted some air. I didn't mean to disturb you."

Looking down at Zeus and noticing how he didn't attempt to bite Steph, especially since he was so fickle he newcomers, Mark looked back up at Stephanie, pulled her to him, and sat her down on his lap.

Shyness and a bit of fright taking her over, Steph moved her gaze to the ground, but Mark brought two fingers to her chin, turning her face towards him. "By _home_, you did mean this one, right?"

Looking up at him, Stephanie didn't know what to say … or what to feel for that matter. Did she wanna stay or did she wanna go home? Did she want an annulment or did she want to truly live this new life? Confused, Mark took a hand and began cupping her butt. Looking up at him, Steph was surprised as ever when he said, "Hop on back. We're going for a ride."

_"A ride?"_, Steph thought wildly.

Although she had never personally been on a motorcycle, the notion always did seem kind of fun to her, even though Linda had warned her time and time again that the only time a woman was supposed to ride anything was a horse sidesaddle.

Knowing not to question him, Stephanie moved around the back of Mark, clasping her arms around him. Making sure she was especially secure, Mark, with no helmet or any kind of safety measure, kicked the bike off its kickstand, started it up, and sped off, the bike growling as they exited the house, with nothing between them but highway and opportunity.


	29. A Second Go Round

As the countryside seemed to roll by Mark and Stephanie, the nighttime air hitting her face, blowing her hair every which way, Stephanie couldn't help but to notice how strong and manly Mark's body felt, as he focused on commandeering his machine.

Although she didn't initially rest her head against Mark's back as they were taking off down the road, within two minutes or so, Steph found herself tightening her grip around Mark's waist, allowing her head to rest upon his broad back.

With the spring time air gushing all around them and the roaring of the motorcycle's engine beneath them, Stephanie honestly took this moment to be one of romanticism. Even though they weren't saying anything, this moment seemed to speak a thousand words to her.

She wanted Mark to feel the same way too, but he was so guarded off, she didn't know how to quite approach him about anything.

Truth be told, she _had_ thought about her _new_ life, living as Mark's wife, and not going back to her true home in Greenwich … and that shocked the hell out of her, because in the back of Stephanie's mind, if Mark opened up, and treated her like he treated her when they had sex, then …

But then she kept going back and agonizing about what all what Mark had done to her. How he forced her into marriage, and although on paper he was her "legal" husband, he was also her captor, and that should have superseded all of her other thoughts … but it didn't.

Driving up a steep hill, Stephanie's breath caught in her chest again. Afraid she was going to fall off, Mark actually took his left hand off the bike and began massaging Steph's clasped hands with his thumb, as if he was silently telling her not to panic, calming Stephanie's anxiety for a moment.

Driving up the long hill for about another thirty seconds, Mark brought the bike to a stop on top of a grassy area, turning it off. As Stephanie relaxed, looking all around her, trying to figure out exactly where they were, Mark got off the bike, pulling her up with him.

Estimating that it had to be at least around 3:30 in the morning, Steph walking around, noting all the trees, hearing various things that she wasn't quite so familiar with yet, made her an absolute nervous wreck. The slightest noises, such as the cricket that was chirping, were nerve shattering to her.

Scared, walking over to Mark, who was standing at the top of the hill, Steph, looking behind her wildly, as if someone or something was behind her, bumped right into Taker's arm, saying, "Mark, I think we better get out of her because I hear…", before she let out a long "Wow", at the sight of the beautiful scenery beneath them.

Steph had already figured that Mark's house, because of the rural area, was more than likely located right on the outside of Houston, but that didn't seem to matter, because when she looked down, she honestly saw one of the most breathtaking views she had every seen in her entire life.

Along with all the beautiful trees that seemed to be illuminated by the stars and the street lights, there were acres and acres of nothing but lush pasture beneath that hill, all the lights to all the homes below standing out in small numbers. Under the beautiful sky, all the stars seemed to be out.

_"You can't get these kinds of stars to come out like this in Greenwich." _

Wowed, blown away by the spectacular view, Steph simply stared around in awe, while Mark took off his shirt, placing it on the ground, finally resting on it.

Turning around and seeing Mark looking up at her, Steph, attempting to push her hair behind her ears, was dragged down by the strong arm of Mark.

Yelping, Mark maneuvered Stephanie's back to him with ease, both of them facing the beautiful scenery beneath them. As Mark wrapped his arms around Stephanie, absently, Stephanie lied her head against his shoulders, then, realizing what she was doing, sat her head back up.

_"What am I doing? This man abducted me! I'm not even supposed to be here now!" _

Looking back at him, Stephanie started twisting her fingers again, something she always did when she was nervous.

Taking her hands apart and lacing her fingers with his, Mark whispered into Stephanie's ear, "What's wrong, Princess?"

Looking back at Mark and offering him a weak smile, since "Princess" was a name usually reserved for her father to call her only, Steph, once and for all, desperate for answers, gave back, "Mark, I just … I just honestly can't figure you out. I don't know why I try, honestly, because it just seems like … it seems like you …"

Trailing off, Stephanie still didn't have all the right words ready for what she wanted to say to him. He intimidated the hell out of her, and even when she told herself she was going to be honest with him and say what's on her mind, she still was torn between that and actually just going along with whatever it is he told her to do, praying she would stay out of trouble.

Putting a finger up to his lips, Mark leaned back on both hands, saying, "I don't do this very often, _but_, go ahead, say whatever it is you want to say to me. Ask me anything, and I promise, I won't get mad."

Surprise, doubt, and reluctancy all filled Stephanie's eyes and face at once. When was Mark Calaway ever open to criticism? Taking a deep breath, Steph decided to go forward.

"Like, all what you've done to me, done to my family, I just… They don't know where I am, you told me to forget about my whole life. Mark, I just can't forget about my life before you … before _this_."

Looking down and fidgeting with her fingers once again, Steph added, "I don't know why you would ask that of me."

Taking his hand and undoing his tied up hair, completely messing it up, giving him a more fiendish aura, Mark asked rather calmly, "Question: do you honestly think I would ever hurt you?"

Although Stephanie knew that one were to never answer a question with a question, she gave the only honest answer that she could.

"I honestly don't know. I've seen what you've done to people. What you've done to the Bossman, Kenny, Ryan, me, it's like, no one's safe around you."

"That's because when I wan't something…", grabbing Stephanie and pulling her closer to him, forcing her to look up at him, Mark replied, "…I take it. Now, back to my question: do you think I would honestly ever hurt you?"

"Physically, I don't know, mentally…", sighing, Steph, once and for all, looking straight into his eyes, told him, "…Mark, I'm exhausted. Like my friends back in Greenwich, they're scared to death to be around me. They don't want anything happening to them or to their families. Then the Homeowners' Association, they've given my dad nothing but pure hell every since you set your symbol ablaze in our font lawn. They thought it was some kind of publicity stunt, that we were 'destroying' their peaceful neighborhood for the show.

I'm afraid to be in my own house, my own room, I jump at the smallest little noises, I don't feel safe anywhere, or with anyone. Mark, what you've taken from, I can never … I can never get back. You've destroyed my whole realm of peace. So, I don't know. I just wish … I mean, if we are being honest with each other … why? That's all I want to really know truthfully, Mark."

Looking at her hands again, Steph on the inside was relieved that she finally, even if it didn't come out 100% detailed as she had planned, said what it was that she wanted to say. She suddenly felt a sense of relief flood her entire body. Glancing back up at Mark, who was still sitting back on his hands, studying her, Steph finally kept her gaze there, finally feeling like she could face him.

Sitting up now and slapping his hands together to get rid of the dirt, his pecks bouncing up and down from even the slightest of movement, looking into her blue eyes, and obviously seeing the hurt that resided in them, Mark finally spoke up.

"Since we're being honest, yeah, I did everything you said I did. Why? Honestly Stephanie, because I wanted to."

Saying that, knowing it was going to shock her, which it did, Mark watched as Stephanie's face her face literally turned to stone. Reaching out to massaged her cheek in his hand, he continued, "I did it to honestly piss Vince off, to get what I wanted, which was your daddy's company. You were nothing more than a pawn."

Feeling absolutely sick to her stomach with Mark's revelation, Stephanie began to mentally kick herself. _"_

_How could I have been so stupid? Here I was, having every emotion running wild inside of me because of him, and all he thinks of me as is a pawn? Bradshaw was right: I am a plaything!"_ Before she could continue beating herself up, Mark said, "You wanted the truth, you're going to get it. Yeah, at first, I had absolutely no interest in you, but, over time, that changed."

Taking his hand and rubbing them through her frizzy hair, Mark said, "Steph, you know me as well as anybody else: when I want something, I take it. Is it right? Depends on who you're asking. But, would you have allowed anyone else to do what I have done to you?"

Steph, not knowing exactly what he meant, squinting her eyes a bit and shaking her head, asked, "What are you talking about, like, kidnap me, Mark, how could I…?"

"I mean," cutting her off. "What we did back at the house. Me taking you. Would you have let anyone else, other than me, do that to you?"

Mouth dry as the Sahara, Stephanie knew what the answer was, and it was an emphatic no.

Truth be told, there was just something about Mark that she liked. She didn't know what it was, but whatever it was, it was turning her inside out.

Looking down and shaking her head, Mark replied, "Exactly. Steph. What I did to Vince and what I did to you were both on a professional level and a personal level. Professional with Vince, personal with you. If it makes you feel any better, then, I'm sorry, but I'm really not, Steph. Not by a long shot. I got what I wanted on both ends, and whether you realize it or not, you got what you wanted to."

Steph, laughing out loud at his pomposity, couldn't believe that he, after all what he had done to her and her family, was sitting there offering an apology, and within the same breath, had the nerve and the audacity to take it all back?

Looking at him, Steph, with disbelief in her voice, said, "You're impossible, you know that? All you can tell me is that you're sorry, but since you got what you wanted, you're really not? Mark, what about what _I _want? What if _I _want to go back to my _real_ home, to go back to my _real_ bed, be around my _real_ friends, be around my _real_ family? What about that? Do you even care?"

Shrugging, coming off as an insufferable jackass, Mark callously replied, "So? Steph, you just told me that your friends are afraid to be around, right? Well then, if that's the case, I don't think they were ever your true friends to begin with. Second, like I keep telling you, Vince and Shane are not who you think they are, and in Shane's case, you don't have to look too hard into the crystal ball to figure that one out. Vince, for all it's worth, did you more harm than good. Why not call the cops on me? Why not have me thrown under the jail? Press charges? Vince has tons of lawyers. Hell, I've personally met a couple of them."

Looking down so Stephanie couldn't see his evil glimmer in his eye, thinking back to when he literally took the breath away from Matthew, Mark looked back up ferociously and said, "You know why he didn't Stephanie? Because he wanted to save face for his precious WWF. Again, who and what comes first, business or family? And speaking of family, has Vince made Sable your official stepmother yet?"

Before disgust could rise in her voice, Mark, rubbing her face now, said to her, "Steph, as my wife, you you'll never have to worry about that again. I'm never going to subject you to anything you don't want to be subjected to. Ever."

Stephanie's thoughts were so all over the place now, she didn't know what to think.

On one hand, maybe Mark was right about her friends back in Connecticut. If they could bail on her when she needed them the most, maybe they weren't her real friends. She had honestly thought about that notion once, but she was so vulnerable, she didn't want to give in to the thought. At the time, she felt all alone, and was under the impression that she needed her friends to cope and heal, but none of them had been around when the going got tough for her, so maybe Mark did make a valid point on that account.

And Shane, maybe Mark was right about him, as well.

Over the past few weeks, she and Shane, who were closer than siblings up until that point, had really drifted apart, mainly due to Shane's ego and obsession with power and money. Shane didn't even seem to care that Mark was stalking her; all he seemed to care about was his new position within the Corporation.

But Vince? Even with the Sable drama, Vince had done everything he possibly could have done to keep her safe. Stephanie knew the name of more police officers than she cared to remember. She had checked into hotels under various different aliases, Ava Miller, Jennifer Roberson, Samantha Davis, just to name a few, because she and Vince were terrified of using her real name.

They were even thinking about hiring the Big Show as her personal bodyguard, but after things dissolved between he and Vince at WrestleMania, that plan completely fell through, as well.

Knowing that Mark had a very formulated opinion about Vince that quite frankly was not going to change, Steph opted to changed the subject.

"What about Christian?"

With Mark's face contorting in a obvious frown, he retorted not so subtly, "What about Christian?"

Raising her eyebrows, Steph, looking around again, looking very uneasy, said, "Mark, I saw his back when I was tidying up his room upstairs, and before that, I heard all those whipping noises in the warehouse. He's walking with a limp, he's acting as your chauffeur, he carries your bags, I mean, why?"

Smirking at her innocence, just like the question before, Mark gave a very straightforward answer.

"Steph, I've been in the WWF for almost 9 years. I know the ins and outs of the company just as much, if not more, than your old man does. I was here when things were good and when things were bad, and I'm still here."

Sniffing, rubbing his nose, he continued. "Now with that being said, I have a lot of stroke backstage, you and everybody else with a little common sense knows that. When you decide to roll with me, Mark Calaway, the Undertaker, whomever, you decide to put loyalty above everyone and everything, because you're reaping the benefits off of my name. When you cross me, there's no going back, except …", holding one finger up in front of Stephanie's face, "…this one time.

In order for Christian to prove himself to me, in order for the Brood to prove themselves to me, then they're going to have to work for it, from square one all over again, especially Christian, because he's failed me on more than one occasion. They're going to endure whatever it is that I dish out, and there's all there really is to it. Does that make sense to you?"

Although feeling the beating that Taker had put on Christian was a bit excessive, and not wanting to continue with that line of questioning, since he seemed so passionate about it, Steph moved on.

"And what about Ryan?"

Sticking his tongue in his cheek, Mark asked again, "What about her?"

Playing with her shirt now, Steph said, "I mean, Mark, honestly, what did you do to her? Why is she acting the way she acts now? Why did she slap Kenny? She attacked Tori for absolutely no good reason. Mark, she looks at me like I killed her entire family. Like, what's, what's wrong with her?"

Smiling to himself, Mark knew that with the first female addition to the Ministry, Saphirra could be a very valuable asset to his human arsenal. Already she had proven that she was willing and able to go the extra mile for him, and that would especially benefit him when he got in tight situations.

Smiling, giving Steph the chills, Mark replied, "She's just found herself; she just needed the right person to bring it all out."

Asking point blankly, Stephanie blurted out, "Did you?"

Smiling again, rubbing his chin hair, as if he was thoroughly proud of himself, Mark answered again, "Why not? Maybe that explains the reason why she chased around so many men, because she wanted to be a person she wasn't. I didn't do anything to her that she didn't already have in mind. All she needed was a little persuasion."

Afraid to ask the next question, Stephanie, gathering her courage again, still looking down, asked simply, "Did you have sex with her?"

"No. But If I did, I don't think that would change anything between us. Saphirra made the choice she wanted to make. She became the person she wanted to be." Then, taking his hand and lightly stroking her collarbone, Mark added, "As you'll soon be too."

Perplexed, Stephanie, finally looking up, baffled, asked again, "Mark, what are you talking about? I know who I am."

Tilting his head some, resting his weight on his hands again, Mark, with that devious look on his face, smiled lightly and asked, "Steph, how old are you?"

Playing with her fingers, looking down once more, Steph replied, "Mark, you know I'm twenty two."

Sitting up again and tilting her head back up, forcing her to looking into his piercing green eyes, Mark replied, "Exactly. You're twenty two. Why is it that _daddy_ still treats you like a fourth grader? Tell me, do you like being conservative?"

"In conservative, are we talking like politics, because …"

Cutting her off by waving off what she was about to say, Mark said, "Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. Like, conservative in the way you act. The way you dress. I've seen your clothes Steph, and you dress like you're a Harvard Law graduate. Oversized sweaters, button down collar shirts, skirts past your knees, slacks, all the time, those pitiful Mary Poppins, Punky Brewster shoes and socks. I mean, are you two or twenty two? Fortunately…" kissing her lips lightly, then trailing his hand down the side of her face, "…I could see the woman behind the girl."

Looking at him sideways, Steph retorted, "Well, Mark, everyone in Greenwich dresses like that; you've been to my house. It's, you know, how we dress, since we're in polite society and all."

Giving off one of those rare occasional chuckles, which had nothing to do with raising global warfare, Mark coughed out, "Yeah, I've seen Pete Gas and Rodney."

Hitting him lightly in the chest, Steph also gave out an honest laugh herself.

"Stop it. Those are my brother's friends."

Smiling, then looking down, because Mark had a glint in his eye that she hadn't seen before, Mark picked up where they left off at, picking up both hands with his and cupping them. "Stephanie, you're twenty two under lock and key. I bet tonight was the first time you were on a motorcycle, huh?"

Steph, smiling a small bit, said, "Yeah, but to be fair, a lot of people go their whole lives without ever even putting their finger on a motorcycle, let alone ride one."

Nodding, knowing Steph had a valid point, Mark retorted, "True, but tell me then, what do _you_ want to do now that you're not under Vince and Linda's thumb anymore?"

"I wouldn't necessarily say I'm under their thumb, but there are a lot of things people want to do when they have the opportunity," Stephanie answered truthfully, looking down at their entangled hands.

"Like, I've always wanted a puppy. Doesn't matter what breed, I just wanted one. My parents, as you know, they aren't the greatest pet lovers. I don't know, there's a lot, I just haven't put my mind to it yet."

Rubbing his hands over her hers, Mark said almost excitedly, "Exactly what I mean, Steph. With this group, with the Ministry, you…", taking his finger and tapping her nose lightly, "…can be yourself."

_"Looking at things from Mark's perspective, maybe he has a point,"_ Stephanie began thinking to herself. _"Maybe I do need to start doing things a little bit differently." _

So preoccupied in her thoughts, Steph looked down suddenly to see Mark tugging on the bottom of her shirt. Not even attempting to put up a fight, Mark lifted Steph's shirt over her head, exposing the cups of her breast inside her black bra. Reaching behind her to unfasten the clasps in the back, Stephanie allowed him to do so, exposing her cream colored breasts and small brown circles around them.

Because it was the perfect temperature outside, Steph, sitting there with her chest exposed, wasn't cold or hot, and with Mark's hands stroking her all over, she felt a surge of heat roll through her wherever he touched.

Licking at her neck this time, tasting her natural, sweet flesh, Mark hooked a finger inside the waistband of her sweatpants, pushing them down on either side, whispering in her ear to take her shoes off, exposing the black pair of panties she had, as well.

Soon, Stephanie was completely naked in front of him yet again, as Mark sensually began cupping both of Stephanie's butt cheeks, kneading her ample derriere, while simultaneously semi-lying down with her. Feeling over the crouch of her panties, Mark licked inside Stephanie's ear, sending a thunderous chill all over her body, asking, "Where's your tampon?"

Steph, who had chill bumps all over her body, looked down at him and said lightly, "I wasn't, I wasn't spotting."

Revealing that once again sinister grin, Mark, looking right into Stephanie's eyes said pointedly, "Good."

Lying his head down on his shirt, Mark, with one arms wrapped around Steph's waist, his other hand within the waistband of his own pants, pushed his pants below his waist, generously sucking on Stephanie's right nipple, causing her to arch her back in pleasure.

Placing her hands on Mark's chest, Stephanie leaned her head all the way back, her hair falling down her back, moaning out, enjoying the moment.

Feeling herself grow wetter with every suck across her nipple, Stephanie, before she could say or do anything, felt Mark slide his finger across her clit.

Biting at his shoulder, moaning and trembling all over, Stephanie then felt Mark's penis slowly pressing into her. Biting down on his shoulder slightly, with only a hint of pain filling her and Mark continued to press into her, going all the way down to the halfway point, Steph continuing to bite down at his shoulder, taking her tongue and licking over his shoulder, cried out as Mark pumped into her with a long, hard stroke, the pleasure from it sending ripples through her entire body.

Pumping into her again, slow and hard, Stephanie, which was on a rare occasion, swore out, "Shit!", panting loudly, as Mark snaked his hands through her scalp, pulling her hair back, causing her to arch her back, and then, without notice, pushed her head down to his, kissing her with vigor, their tongues overlapping passionately, as he continued to drive into her with deliberate pumps.

Smacking her left butt check with a small amount of force, causing Steph to gurgle out, their lips and tongues still touching, Mark pushed Stephanie's head back, looked directly into her eyes, with bright wickedness and asked her, "Who does this belong to," and with "this", he brought his hand from around her butt, and pressed it over Stephanie's pulsating bud, making her scream out again.

Yelling, almost a fever pitch now, Stephanie panted out, "You, baby, you! Oh, my God, you!"

Still tickling her sensitive flesh, pumping into her at the same time, Steph felt her whole body unraveling.

There were no thoughts of Shane, Linda, Vince, no one at that moment mattered but she and Mark.

Suddenly, Mark began slowing his movements, almost to a halt.

Looking down to see what had distracted him, Mark told Stephanie bluntly, without hesitation, "Beg for it."

Puzzled, all Steph could get out was an "I … I", before Mark pumped into her again surprisingly, taking his fingers and wrapping them around her throat, while the other was in her head, pulling her down, and growling out, "That's not begging. I said, beg for it."

Pulled out of her almost to the head of his cock, Mark came crashing back into her body, taking his severely erect shaft out again, as Stephanie, stumbling over her words, anxious for him to return, began mouthing out her desires.

"Please, please, please, oh dear God, please, please Mark, baby, please …"

Re-gripping her hair Mark, leaning up to lick her neck, while also keeping Steph at bay from further sexual action, Taker looked up at Steph, a torturous look in his eyes, asked her with malice, "Please what, Stephanie? Please, who?"

About to go mad with with wanting, Stephanie at the top of her lungs, although usually mild and soft spoken, howled, "Daddy! Please, daddy! Dad-daddy-da… I can't … I can't…" Feeling she had fulfilled her duties, Mark plunged back into her.

Although noting her prior virginity, he brought Steph back down, chest to chest, by her hair and throat, and with her behind spiked in the air, he lifted himself up by the hips, holding her in place while he pushed all of himself into her, causing Steph to lose it upon impact.

Holding her in place, Steph, still firmly in position, somehow arched her back into a "U" shape, digging her nails into Mark's shoulders and back, while she screamed out in ravishing bliss.

Her vision got blurry, her head felt as if it was spinning, parts of her body got uncontrollable tingles inside of them, and a volcanic eruption came crashing down upon her.

Unable to keep her balance from the constant quivers that had taken over her body, Steph huffed and puffed inside Mark's neck, as he, with one last self-serving push, a deep hollow, guttural growl, escaping his lips, emptied himself inside his wife. For the first time ever, Steph felt a warm, filling liquid spewing inside of her, causing her to sob within Mark's neck.

Falling back onto his shirt, his arm fastened safely around Steph's back and waist, he and Stephanie's chest touching one another's, both of them spent with overwhelming emotion, lie there groggily as the sun slowly began to creep up behind them.


	30. Make the Right Choice

As she lie on top of Mark, her entire body buzzing a delicious hum, Stephanie couldn't help but to notice how calm and peaceful everything felt. This was truly one of the first times in weeks in which she actually felt at peace. And the ironic part about this was the fact that at both ends of the spectrum, Mark had been the one who had taken away the tranquility of her life and seemingly the person who had brought it back.

Leaning up some to face him, her hair falling about her shoulders, the two silently stared into each other's eyes, each of them spent from their recent sex session. Gazing into Mark's eyes, Stephanie's mind began to wander again. Pressing her lips together, the palms of her hands lying flat on his chest, Stephanie remarked, "Mark, I'm not on birth control."

You didn't have to be the brightest bulb in the box to know how babies were made, and as of right now, Stephanie wasn't nearly as prepared for that next phase in her life, considering the fact that she still didn't know this man. True, they had known each other for a very long time, but to know Mark Calaway and to know the Undertaker were two complete separate things.

Steph knew what Mark had done, releasing himself into her, and that alone filled her with unease.

Leaning up, with his semi-erect penis still inside of her, Mark brought his hands to Stephanie's hips, massaging them a bit, before he playfully slapped her on the behind, causing her to yelp. Looking into her eyes, he asked without caution, "Is that a problem?"

Surprised by his bravado, covering her breasts again, before Mark nudged her hands away entirely, Stephanie, with urgency replied, "Mark, yes, it is! I don't even know if you did the first time, you know …"

"Go off?", Mark asked matter of factly.

Her face turning red with color, Stephanie nodded and looked around for her clothes and said gently, "Yeah, if that's how you want to put it." Grabbing her shirt from off the ground and holding her hands to her chest, looking mildly up now, she asked again, "Did you?"

"Did I what?"

Although Mark knew exactly what Stephanie was referring to, he had no intentions on being honest, at least not right now. He had plans for Stephanie, and whether she was coming along for the ride as a willing passenger or not was entirely on her, but he knew that by the end of the ride, she'd be 100% on board.

"You know … do that … the first .. the first time?" Stephanie stuttered, not knowing how to exactly phrase her question without sounding cheap.

"Did I go off in you the first time?"

"Yes," Stephanie said almost in a panic, desperately seeking the truth. She was afraid of the outcomes of having sex with him already. She didn't need to start adding pregnancy scares to her daily lists of tasks.

Lying through his teeth, Mark looked Stephanie's directly in the eyes and replied, "Nope."

Relieved a bit, Stephanie however knew that it only took one time for any woman to get pregnant, and she wasn't ready for that experience right now. Things weren't kosher. Her daddy probably was making plans right now to murder him, and a baby would only complicate matters. With Mark helping her put on her bra and shirt again, Stephanie added, trying to add some stability to her hair, "I think I need to be."

Standing up now and pulling up his pants, lacing up the string to his sweats, Mark looked down at Stephanie and asked, "Need to be what?"

"On birth control … if we're … you know … going to keep … you know …"

Smirking wildly now, folding his arms up in his chest, Mark, extending his hand to Stephanie, helping to pull her up, then grabbing by her the waist, asked, "I thought you wanted to go back home? You know, your _real one _in Greenwich."

Doing the classic Vince McMahon gulp, Stephanie, although initially feeling that way, and in a way still did, but not as much as once did before, was just too conflicted mentally.

Truth be told, she was afraid to death that Linda and Vince, if she ever got back home, would have her go to the hospital to take a rape test.

Her parents knew she was still a virgin, that she was saving herself for marriage, and although she knew that Mark were technically married, and Mark of course hadn't forced himself onto her, how was she supposed to explain to them that she allowed him to have sex with her?

But then if she chose to stay, then Mark would probably take that as a sign of weakness, that she wanted this "new life", and she didn't necessarily want that, either.

All she knew was that just wasn't ready to make such an earth shattering decisions right now and she didn't understand why Mark was making her choose. It wasn't fair!

Looking down again at the flowers and grass on the ground, Stephanie responded, "Mark, I do … I mean … what I'm saying is … I don't think you're going to stop … you know … and if we keep doing … _it_ … then you know how babies are made," she stuttered. "I'm not ready to be a mom and all that stuff … and how would we explain it to people? They already think you're the devil. People are going to think you abused me or something, you know?"

Taking both hands and rubbing his fingers though her scalp, then drawing his hands down her back, finally settling them at her waist, Mark told Stephanie in his most sincerest sounding voice, "Stephanie, look at me."

Looking up at the man who had done all these crazy things to her over the past few weeks, who was now sounding more like her protecter than her captor, Mark explained, "You can if you want to. It's your choice, ok? If you want to go back home, fine. Matter of fact, I'm weary to have you around this many men anyway. It's not place for a woman like you."

_"What does he mean, 'a woman like you?'"_

Continuing, Mark said, "And if you want to get on birth control, fine, by all means. But, don't you think you should only get on birth control if we're still going to be having sex?"

Rubbing his thumb over her chin now, he continued, "If you go back home, then they'll be no need for birth control. Remember, I'll only see you every Monday, if you show up to TV or not. But honestly, Stephanie, the choice is yours."

Looking up at him, Stephanie still couldn't decide what she wanted to do, so she tried to reverse some of her concerns back on to him. "And what if I decide to stay?"

Massaging her waist now, Mark answered, "Well, if you decide to stay, you stay. I won't force you to do either one. What you do is strictly on you. As far as the birth control thing is concerned, Steph, you're my wife."

Reaching down to touch her black wedding band for the first time, twisting it about her finger, Mark continued, "I honestly don't feel like I should have to limit myself, because I won't. But, if you want to get some kind of contraceptive, be my guest, but," tapping her nose lightly, Stephanie looking up at him innocently. "That's only if you choose to stay. It's your choice."

_"So now he's giving me choices now? I didn't have a choice when he started stalking me. I didn't have a choice when he abducted me, when he forced me into marriage, but now, now that's he's stolen my dad's company, now I have a choice?" _

Disgusted, Stephanie for the first time in a while, began to wise up, slapping Mark's hands away from her.

Looking up at his six foot ten frame with revulsion, Stephanie, upset beyond control, yelled at him, "So now, Mark Calaway, after all you've done to me, stalking me, abducting me, forcing me into marriage, losing my virginity to you, which had to be the icing on top of the cake for you, _after_ you steal my father's company away from him, _now_ give me a choice? What kind of fool do you take me for? You know, you may be older than me, and you may think you're the 'master of the mind games', but you can't continue to manipulate me. I won't let you!"

Losing his patience entirely, which is something he rarely ever did, Mark reached out and grabbed Stephanie by both arms, shaking her as he did such, causing her already messy and matted hair to fly all over the place. Although his voice was still low, nothing suggested that it had any sorts of calm about it. In fact, it was just the opposite.

"Is that what you think, _little girl_?"

Startled by how one second she was a "woman" then a "little girl", Stephanie opened her mouth to protest, but she was cut off by his razor sharp voice.

"Is that what you think?" Mark asked angrily, having patience with Stephanie no longer an option.

"Let me tell you one thing, if I wanted you three months ago, I could have _had_ you, and don't think that I couldn't and wouldn't," Mark warned, causing Stephanie's eyes to tremble with fear. She knew that Mark was calculated, but to reveal all of this to her …

"Despite what you say about your little virginity being taken," he added. "I didn't force anything onto you that you didn't already want. You're no different than Saphirra. I'm giving you a choice, and you can take either route, the road to take is on you, but don't play games with me. You won't win. I won't let you."

Throwing her back a bit and walking away to sit on his bike, Stephanie, upset, confused, lost, hurt, mentally drained, and agonizing over staying with a man who was like candy almost: good for the sweet tooth, but bad for the soul, not knowing what to do or what to think, did the only thing she could think of: she began to cry.

Putting her hands over her face and walking to a nearby tree, distraught, Steph cried. Her life was spiraling out of control, through no fault of her own, and she was powerless to stop it. She didn't know what Mark wanted from her.

Was she to go back to Greenwich now and live a now supposed normal life, even though it was very much ripped apart?

Mark married her, she was forced to sign a marriage certificate, and even though she always wanted to annul her marriage, or at least thought she wanted to, what would happen in the mean time? What would she tell people? Would they even believe her?

Hanging her head with the sorrow, Stephanie continued to bawl. That's all she could think about doing. She had so many different emotions walled up inside of her, and finally they were all letting themselves out.

Hearing grass rustling behind her, Steph didn't even have time enough to turn around before Mark came behind her and wrapped his muscled arms around her body, entrapping her to him, her back facing his chest.

Kissing on the side of her ear now, trying to sooth her sorrows, Mark shushed Stephanie lightly, kissing her on the side of her face. "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, Steph," continuing to kiss on her face, rubbing his hands over her arms, while she continued to sob silently.

"Stop crying, ok? You ain't got nothing to cry for," he attempted to assure.

With tears falling shamelessly down her cheeks, Stephanie replied through sobs, "Mark, yes, I do. You don't understand what you've done to me, and if you do, you don't care. It's all about you …"

Biting her earlobe lightly, causing Stephanie to stop dead in her tracks, Mark whispered into her ear, "How's that? Huh, Steph?"

Now taking his hands and going underneath her shirt, rubbing her bare stomach with both hands, Mark said, "How is it about me? Steph, I'm giving you the opportunity to do whatever it is that you want to do. Whatever you dear old dad has in store for me as far as business goes, that shouldn't concern you. What should concern you is the fact that unlike your brother and your old man, _I_ actually care about you."

Letting that soak in for a moment, the air seemed to still around them. Stephanie's brain couldn't handle all of this stress.

_"So now he cares about me?"_

Shaking her head, trying to convince herself that Mark was just as evil as everyone said he was, looking down, Stephanie replied, "If you cared about me, why'd you do all this stuff to me? Mark, it doesn't add up."

Turning her around to face him, bending his body down to hers, Mark replied, arms around her waist, "It doesn't make sense to _you_ because _you_ just can't see it right now. You're upset, that's ok. The important thing to remember here Steph is this: _you're_ Mrs. Calaway now, and I do …", taking his hand and slowly brushing her hair from her face, looking down at her again with a bright passion in his eyes, finally said, "…care about you."

Slowly backing up and putting his back to her, facing his motorcycle, Stephanie was every bit of lost and confused as she had ever been.

She was so undecided she was literally about to drive herself mad with overwhelming thoughts of what if's. And Mark admitting that he actually cared about her, and with the realization that Stephanie was actually beginning to care about him too, was baffling to her.

She couldn't possibly love her kidnapper, but why did she feel the way that she was feeling? Was she going through Stockholm Syndrome?

Holding his hand out behind him, Mark turned back to look at Stephanie, who was hugging herself, her face still staring at the ground.

"Come on. Let's get you home."

Stephanie, knowing what home he truly meant, looked back up at him, then turning her head away briefly, extended her hand out to meet his, as well, lacing their fingers together, as Mark lead them back to his bike.

… If only Stephanie could have seen that menacing sneer across his face.

* * *

><p>As Mark and Steph rode back up the lone highway, Steph pressed her head against Mark's back and shoulder, arms braced carefully around him, as they made their way back to Mark's ranch.<p>

Steph, of course, had a lot to think about, but her mind was too wrapped up in the fact that Mark told her that he cared for her. If he did, he had a funny way of showing it.

Abducting her, forcing her to marry him, spanking her, making her clean his house; what was his deal?

On top of all that, they had sex, not once, but twice, and just when she thought she had him figured out for the master manipulator that he truly was, he revealed that cared about her.

Steph deep down inside really did want to believe that Mark was no good for her. Everyone he had come in contact with in the past few months had suddenly transferred their admiration for him, even if they didn't like him personally, for being a man of character and class, to utter revulsion.

That, coupled with the fact that he had done so much, not only to her, but the Shamrock and Ryan, literally ripping them apart as a family, hanging the Bossman from the Cell at WrestleMania, and stealing the company right from under Vince's nose, should have been answer enough for Stephanie… but it wasn't.

When she got back to Mark's place, the first thing she knew she should have done was grab the nearest phone and dialed for help … but she didn't want to do that. Not now at least. Because as bad as she wanted to tell herself otherwise, Stephanie was developing feelings for Mark, and she was helpless in stopping them.

Still trying to make sense of it all, Stephanie allowed herself to actually drift away on Mark's broad back, but still having the sound mind to keep her hands embraced around his waist tightly. Once she felt the bike sway to the left and the engine cutting off, Stephanie began to wake herself up, but not before Mark could whisk her up in his arms, personally carrying her into the house and up the stairs, kissing her along the way.

Once they got into the bedroom, Mark commandeered their bodies into the bathroom, where, once inside, after manipulating Stephanie's legs around his waist, filled the tub with warm water, adding a bit of bubble bath to it, causing the water to rise with the soapy suds.

Taking off Stephanie's shirt and bra off and flinging them onto the floor, Mark placed Stephanie's feet flat on the floor, pulling her to him once again, a playful shriek escaping her lips, as he kissed her passionately, pulling her pants and panties down to the floor, with Stephanie helping him do so.

As Mark took two fingers and began massaging within her moist folds again, Stephanie moaned inside his mouth, arching her back, pressing her body more into his. Walking her up the steps to the tub, Stephanie sat her down in the warm and bubbly water, turning the nob to stop the water flow.

Admiring her true, natural beauty, and how she was simply relaxing in the tub, allowing the water to massage her aching body, Mark stared at her hungrily for a moment, before taking his own clothes off, revealing his naked body, his ripped and heavily tattooed arms, his stomach muscles clenching with fever, and his long throbbing rod almost ceasing to wait, desperately wanting to seek refuge inside her tight and inviting snatch.

Walking into the tub and nuzzling up behind Stephanie, who was moving a loofa across her chest, Mark took the sponge away from her, beginning to rub it across her shoulders and back, and after freeing the area of suds, kissed on the sensitive flesh between her neck and shoulders, cupping her left breast lightly.

Leaning her head back, relishing in the fact that Mark was treating her body so delightfully, Steph, feeling Mark growing between her cheeks, turned around to look at him astonishingly, finding it absolutely hard to believe that he, even after the two times that they had done it already, was ready to go again.

Generally amazed, asking, "Again?", Mark nodded only once, before he bent her over slightly within the tub, pressing his rock hard penis back inside of her, which was both welcoming and inviting all at once, Stepanie's body clearly getting used to his size now.

Steph, spreading her legs some on instinct, leaning her head back, billowing in internal ecstasy, Mark continued to suck on her neck, while his the fingers on his left hand reached between her legs, enveloping themselves between her now puffy lips, all the while, his thumb took its rightful place over her clit, culminating in Mark stroking back and forth lightly within her, teasing her inner and outer beings.

Moaning out, "Oh, God!", Steph felt like the entire world was spinning again. Feeling that she was once again the brink of climax, Mark slowly eased out of her, leaving Steph pouting and whining for his return. Feeling as if she her body had settled down some, Mark re-entered her ever so carefully, leaning back and placing his hands over her hips, pumping into her with precision.

But this time, it wasn't just sex. This time, it was far more personal and intimate, Mark's strokes within her more slow than fast, more smooth than rugged, his suckling on her neck was more delicate, as his tongue lapped over her flesh several different times, and his fingers below took more time familiarizing themselves within her tight, blossom colored lips.

Twice more, every time Steph was about to go over the edge, Mark, making her go mad with wanting, pulled himself out of her, waiting for her crowning moment to pass over, before he slowly dove back into her. Finally, when she couldn't stand it anymore, her hands on the edge of the tub balled up into a heap, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her head back, Mark crashed his hips into her bare bottom, holding himself there while Stephanie's intense relief whitewashed her entire body, a combination of sweat from the sex and from the steam of the bath misting her her entire upper body, as she crumpled into Taker's awaiting arms and chest.

After regaining his composure, Mark found the sponge within the bath, and continued to wash over her. After they finished, Mark slowly picked Stephanie's light body up into his arms again, carrying her out onto the floor, where he proceeded to wrap her up in a fluffy white towel, drying her off.

Taking her by the hand and walking her to the bed, Mark, still naked, kissed Stephanie until her back hit the bed spread. Wrapping her arms around him, Stephanie was lost in a sea of bliss. Even though she knew in the back of her mind that all of this, what they were doing, was wrong, she couldn't help but to love the fact that she was being loved. As Mark pulled back and stood straight up, Stephanie, caught an eyeful of his sheer manhood, her face turning a light pink from her very naughty thoughts.

Pulling back from her, Mark told her softly, "Come on, we gotta get you dressed."

Smiling, Steph, for once not filled with shyness, asked with an eyeful of man, "Dressed for what?"

Walking off a bit, Mark, giving full rear end tease, turned around and looked, with his wet hair falling over his back, and said, "Your flight. You are going home, right?"

Turning his back to her completely now, Stephanie, for whatever reason, felt her heart sank.

Yes, she told him that she wanted to go back home, well, to her home in Greenwich, but that was before all of this. That was before she began feeling a certain way about Mark, and now, she was going back to Connecticut? Looking back at her again, having still not covered up, Mark asked nonchalantly, "Something wrong?"

Stephanie, sitting up now, with the towel still wrapped around her body, looked up and Mark and asked gently, "I thought I was home?"

Hearing something that he hadn't quite heard in her voice yet, Mark turned his head back to the direction of the bathroom, smiling evilly to himself, then turning around to face her again, looking down at her and asking, "I don't know, are you?"

Scooting off the bed fully and standing up, Stephanie, reaching down deep inside and pulling up the courage of a lion, dropped her towel right in front of him, allowing it to fall at her feet, exposing her naked body to him willingly for the first time. Looking down at the floor, then back up at her again, Mark rubbed his hand around his chin, smirking openly now, the look of Satan himself all across his face.

Stephanie, knowing Mark was somewhat shocked by what she had just done, said with reassurance, "I thought I was."

Walking up to her and picking her up, Mark carefully dropped Stephanie back onto the bed, her hands entangling themselves across her shoulders and head, as he once again took her, right then and there.


	31. A Change in Appearance

After maybe another forty five minutes worth of sex, Stephanie, completely worn out and spent, was pleasantly passed out on the bed, her neck a testament to the almost near constant sex that she and Mark had engaged in for the past few hours.

As he himself, in the buff, stood over Stephanie's nude and angelic body, which was hidden from view under the covers, Stephanie only giving off light breathing, was the near picture of perfection.

Looking down at her lying in his bed naked, Mark couldn't help but to revel in the fact that finally, after months and months of deliberate and careful planning, he was _finally_ getting what he deserved: control over the WWF, control over Stephanie, and soon, he'd have the WWF Title around his waist to compliment all of his wonderful accomplishments.

Looking back down at his woman again, while he casually put on a T-Shirt, Taker smiled to himself wickedly. Whether Stephanie knew it or not, she was now a willing participant in his Ministry, and like all of the other Ministry members, had submitted to his will.

However, unlike everyone else, Stephanie was to submit not only in mind, body, and soul, but also sexually. Yes, his plans for her had only begun, her training not even close to complete, and when he was finished with her, Stephanie would be his own personal well-oiled machine. Her entire life would circle around his, she'd anticipate his every want and need, she'd be totally under his control, and then truly, there'd be no stopping him.

Of course he knew that with his plans, there'd might be some reluctance, especially when it came to the welfare of other people, and Mark was totally expecting that. But true to form, just like Saphirra, Mark had already seen the potential in Stephanie. After all, her last name at one point was McMahon, and before long, she'd be seeing things through tunnel vision. All he needed now was time, and if anyone really knew Mark, then they knew that's all he had.

Putting on a pair of black jeans, a pair of socks, and a red bandana across his head, Mark made his way down the stairs, calling out for Paul again. It didn't take long to find him because Mark knew that more than likely, Paul was in his most favorite part of the house: the kitchen.

Entering the room, Mark went to the refrigerator and removed himself a bottle of water, completely ignoring Paul sitting on the bar stool, eating a homemade footlong. Turning around to look his mentor in the face, Mark, removing the cap from the bottle and guzzling the water down his throat, waited until Paul noticed him.

Looking up smiling from his sandwich, Paul, trying to be as serious as possible, said to him finally, "Oh, so sorry, I didn't see you there."

Chuckling a small bit and rolling his eyes, Mark leaned over on the bar in front of Paul, his hair falling over both shoulders. Watching Paul devour his sandwich for a moment, Mark finally said, "I need you to do me a favor today."

Finally putting his sandwich down for a moment, taking a napkin and dabbing at the side of his mouth, Paul asked curiously, "What kind of favor? Where's your new bride?"

"Upstairs. Listen. I need you to go to the — for me."

Biting his sandwich again, almost shocked, Paul, with a mouth full of food, asked baffled, "Why in the bwooh hell whould hi go der?"

"Paul, just do it. It's all part of the plan."

Swallowing, waving his hands in a form of surrender, Paul, not liking the fact that he had to drive all the way into town today, said flatly, "Ok, ok, fine, fine. When do you want it?"

Looking up and telling him, "As early as possible," Paul knew that was his cue to leave for his task. Grabbing his plate and wobbling off the stool, Paul motioned back at Taker with the plate in his hand and said, "You know what, Wendy, you're going to be the death of me, you know that?"

Shrugging, smiling underhandedly, Mark looked up at Paul, who was at the side of the kitchen now, shaking his head. "You ain't even my son. But, I'll do it." Turning to walk away, Paul turned around and said again, "I'll have to drive all the way into town, all by myself, just for you, but I'll do it."

"Good," Mark said with amusement bouncing in his eyes.

Turning around again to leave out, Paul turned around once more and said and said to Taker, "It'll hurt my back, a chubby man like myself doing all that hard work, but I'll do it."

"Excellent."

Walking off once again, Paul came back, this time holding up a finger, with a legitimate question.

"Oh, but before I go, now, how are we going to hide the fact that we did what we did to Vince and Shane on Smackdown!? Don't you think once we go to TV on Monday she's going to find out?"

Tilting his head to the side and saying blankly, "No," Mark motioned for Paul to come to him with his finger, just in case Stephanie had awaken and was nearby.

Speaking lowly now, Mark told Paul, "She won't find out anything until I decide she's going to find out, understand? On Monday, we're going to make sure that no one mentions what happened to Vince and Shane out loud, including the two biggest independent loudmouths, Austin and Rock. If they do, we're going to finish them. Permanently."

Nodding abundantly and rubbing his hands together, Paul gave Mark his reassurance about Monday night, before leaving out the room completely this time, leaving Taker all along to mentally regale in his plans.

* * *

><p>Stirring in the bed, Stephanie, barely making out where she was, opened her eyes slowly, realizing her exact location now: inside Mark's bed … or was it her bed now?<p>

Her body was singing a wonderful and delightful tune after the love making they shared, and for whatever reason, Stephanie couldn't be happier.

Mark had told her that he had cared about her, and although that completely came out of left field, Steph was taking the moment and running it with it, because the fact of the matter was, she had developed feelings for Mark, too. Stephanie didn't know how hard those feelings were right now, but one thing was for certain: they were definitely there.

Sitting up in the bed now, stretching, letting the sheets fall beneath her breasts, looked over at the clock on the wall, seeing it was a little past 1 o'clock in the afternoon, meaning that she had been slept quite a while now.

They had done it twice that morning, the last time, however, they started out on the bed and ended up on the floor, so she had definitely regained some of her lost energy. Looking around, Stephanie got out the bed slowly, planting her feet flat on the ground, stretching once more, feeling the air wrap around her nude body.

Before today, Steph rarely walked in her own room naked for more than just a few minutes, but now she was actually walking around a completely new house to her, bare, the thought alone exhilarating. Walking into the bathroom, Steph noticed that everything seemed to have been cleaned up while she was asleep.

All of the water on the floor had been mopped up, their clothes were picked off the floor, and things were back in an orderly fashion.

"_So on top of being a good lover, he cleans?" _

Amazed, before going to the toilet to relieve herself, Stephanie looked around for a moment, making sure Mark wasn't sneaking up behind her, placing a lone finger inside of her vagina.

The purpose was not that of pleasure, however, and the only reason she was probing inside of her own womanly areas was to make absolute certain Mark hadn't ejaculated inside of her again.

The one thing that Stephanie had respected about Mark, despite all of his faults, however, was the fact that he was always honest with her, brutal truth or not.

Even with all the evil and demonic things that he had done in the past few weeks, he was always straightforward in what he wanted to do, and that included him telling her that now because he was married, he had plans on controlling himself, but since he gave Stephanie the option of using birth control, although the notion initially freaked her out, she now enjoyed the feeling that she had options to choose from.

Stephanie was only twenty two and babies were not on the agenda for today, nor would they be for quite some time if she had her way. She still had a lot to see in the world, and she knew deep down inside, despite deciding to live with Mark and be his wife, things with Vince and Mark were far, far from over, and adding a baby into this tangled web would only complicate this real life soap opera.

But with choosing a contraceptive also meant that she had to choose a new doctor locally for all of her OGBYN needs. In fact, now that Stephanie was thinking about it, choosing to live with Mark not only meant changing her zip code, but it also meant that she had to get adjusted to a whole different way of living down south.

When she visited here before, the people were always nice, friendly, and down to Earth, so she wasn't too afraid about meeting new friends. In fact, going back to Mark's point last night: if her friends back home in Greenwich could abandon her so easily when she needed them the most, then maybe they truly weren't her real friends, meaning she needed to find some new ones anyway.

But also, other, more serious things had to be addressed as well, from personal finances to maybe the option of having children. Before she got herself in too much of a deep line of thinking, however, Stephanie changed the subject mentally. She and Mark still had a long way to go and she didn't want to spoil their initial happiness with such rigid thoughts.

Inspecting her finger now, Stephanie realized that Mark had gone back on his word and hadn't ejaculated in her. The second time that they had had sex, Steph felt Mark dumping all of his seed into her, and although the initial feeling was awesome, the warm sensation of him releasing himself into her semi-welcoming body, the worry after the fact wasn't.

When they made love in the tub, and again in the bed, she hadn't felt anything, but she was still new to sex and wasn't quite sure what to feel for. Mark had told her that he wasn't going to limit himself, but it was wonderful that he had, because to Steph, that meant that he was actually taking some kind of initiative in being a good husband, meeting her half way on something.

Smiling to herself, Steph relieved herself over the toilet and took a short shower, toweling herself off at the exit. Looking behind the bathroom door, there was a white robe, just in her size, hanging there.

Wrapping it up around her body and walking back into the bedroom, Stephanie smelled the arousing aroma of food coming downstairs. Walking down the hallway, the aroma only seemed to get stronger as she continued to make her journey into the kitchen. Walking into the room, however, Steph was surprised to see Taker with his back to her, standing over the stove, skillet in hand, actually cooking.

Standing in the doorway, Mark turned around with a plate in his hand, greeting her in his booming voice, "Morn…Afternoon, Princess."

For whatever reason, hearing Mark call her "Princess" almost brought the Hoover Dam between her legs. Something about he let the word carelessly roll off his tongue attracted her, and she knew Mark knew that too, which is why he more than likely said it.

Picking up a plate off the table, Mark, carefully and playfully eyeing Stephanie out the corner of his eye, returned to the stove, where he was actually preparing a meal. Stephanie couldn't believe it: Mark was actually cooking!

Part of her couldn't believe it because he just didn't look like the type, and the other part of her couldn't believe it because wrestlers were never home at all to do much of anything, let alone cook.

_"Wonder where he got his technique…"_

Even though Stephanie felt very guilty about Mark's situation with Vince, which she actually had a mind of speaking with him about today, truth be told, now that he was the new majority shareholder of the company, he could stay home as long as he wanted to.

Walking behind him back to the stove and making absolute certain that he was preparing the meal himself, Steph stood over him a bit, before he turned around playfully and asked, "Something you need?"

Smiling for once, the shock still on her face, Steph said politely, "No, I just never envisioned a frying pan and you would ever meet."

"You know, I'm not a Neanderthal."

"Oh?" Steph asked smartly.

"No." Kissing her on her forehead lightly, Stephanie felt as if she wanted to melt. She had never felt so sensual in her entire life, and just off that little peck that Mark had given her right then and there almost threw her into overdrive. Putting the plate of food down on the table, Taker turned around and said, looking down at her, "Speaking of Neanderthals, didn't you have 'people' do all this cleaning and cooking stuff for you back in Greenwich?"

Looking around nonchalantly, Stephanie replied, "Well, yeah. We didn't have live in butlers or anything, but we had housekeepers and gardeners and stuff that come throughout the week."

"Exactly my point."

Realizing Mark had a sharp sense of humor, and that she had prematurely lost this battle, Steph sat down at the table and feasted her eyes upon a delicious looking serving of grilled salmon, with a mango and pineapple salsa spread across it, lying on a bed of mixed greens.

Sitting down in front of her and looking at her as if he wanted to take her once again, Stephanie looked down and began blushing, before picking her fork up and diving in. The taste was incredible, and Stephanie, still feeling Mark's gaze on her, looked up and decided to try to get him back for his little dig.

"You know, this isn't half bad. Who cooked this, Ryan?"

Folding his arms up and chucking a bit, leaning back in his chair, Mark replied, "Yeah, she would have if she was here, but she's not."

Looking around surprised, Stephanie asked, "Where is she?" In fact, looking around now and realizing how quiet the house was compared to yesterday, Steph continued to ask, "Where is everybody else?"

Picking up his water and looking at her as he replied, Mark put back down the glass and said, "House shows. Ryan's gone with them, but before she left, she cleaned up everything for you and laid you something to wear for today."

If Ryan was the kind of woman she was a few weeks ago, Stephanie wouldn't have hesitated in calling her and thanking her for the kind gesture, but since she wasn't, Steph honestly didn't give it a second thought, but she did add on, "Well, do you think she'll actually be alright with all those guys, you know with her, with her track record and all?"

Biting his salmon and swallowing, Mark replied, "She'll be fine Steph, and as for you, we're going out today."

Smiling wildly from the surprise announcement, Stephanie replied joyfully, "Really? Where? I wasn't really expecting to go …"

"I know you weren't, and seeing you're my new wife and all, you need to get you a few new things, a lot actually. So I figured that we'd go into town and get you some new clothes and stuff. How'd that sound?"

Smiling to herself now and loving the fact that Mark was two steps ahead of her in that regard, Stephanie replied back, "I'd like that."

Reaching out and touching her hand, Mark looked at her again and said, "I thought you would."

After eating the meal, Mark lead Stephanie by the hand back upstairs, where he helped her to get dressed, all the while, showering her with affection; light kisses on the nape of her neck, him slowly creeping his hands across her body, embracing her from behind, all the while making Stephanie feel the happiest she had felt in months.

There was simply no turning back for her now. She was still new to being in Mark's company, but the way she was feeling now, she was having trouble even imagining _not_ being in his presence.

Trying on the clothes that Saphirra had picked out for her, however, felt weird a bit, because it was so unlike anything Stephanie would ever truly dress in.

Saphirra had picked out for her a pink button down cardigan, which was fine, but then she paired it with a violet blue tank top with spaghetti straps, a pair of plum colored leather jeans, coupled with black leather platform boots, with a heel that looked to be at least four inches high, along with a bright blue small satchel purse.

Worse of all, Saphirra had outfitted her with panties, but no bra, so she had to wear the bra she had worn from yesterday. Of course, it was the last of the 90s and everyone dressed like this, but Stephanie couldn't imagine her mom or dad ever seeing her in this kind of attire.

Even though Stephanie was an adult and could literally dress in anything that she wanted to, she was always told that her choice of outfit was a reflection of her parents, which is the reason why she stuck to the conservative look majority of the time, if not all. And to be honest, she was comfortable in her old clothes. They were boring to some, yes, but she liked them, and that's what she thought mattered the most … well … up until now that is.

Deciding to wear the clothes that Saphirra had picked out for her anyway, but wearing the cardigan buttoned up, Stephanie, in the bathroom mirror looking at herself in the reflection, all the sudden became panicked. Going back into the bedroom where Mark was putting on a pair of sneakers, Stephanie tried her best to approach her question correctly.

"Mark, I don't know if … you know .. women … um … but, do you have any kind of flat irons?"

Looking up at her new appearance and taking it all in, Mark watched as she sashayed away nervously, going back into the bathroom to agonize over her hair.

"For?"

Yelling out to the bedroom, Stephanie must have had a lump in her voice the size of Rushmore, because her voice started to crack a bit.

"My hair. It's a mess. I can't possibly go out like this."

Although Stephanie had washed her hair this morning, it was all over the place. Whenever she washed it and didn't do anything to it immediately afterwards, it would naturally curl up and do its own thing, and Stephanie hated that.

Her natural curls were manageable, but she preferred her hair to be straightened at all times. Walking up behind her and placing his lips back of her neck, his arms wrapped around her tightly, Mark whispered into her ear, "I think you look fantastic."

Skeptical, Stephanie continued to pout, looking at her reflection in the mirror, with Mark standing right behind her, and said, "Humph. You're just saying that because you don't want to hurt my feelings. I look cheap."

"No, you look twenty two. And speaking of twenty two…"

Without warning, Mark began to unbutton her cardigan, revealing her blue tank top. Once he began kissing on her shoulder, he suddenly took his index finger and pulled back on her bra strap, causing Steph to yell out in pain, as the strap recoiled and made an almost loud popping noise.

"Hey!? What'd you do that for?"

Rubbing her shoulder, Stephanie watched as Mark literally began talking off her cardigan, pulling down the straps to her tank top as he went and pushing it below her breasts before taking off her bra.

Taking a moment to marvel her naked breasts in the mirror, Stephanie had to tap Mark on the shoulder to remind him to pay attention to her face.

"Oh, yeah. Now put your clothes back on, but lose the bra and wear the thing unbuttoned."

With a flash of color rising all over her face, Stephanie looked up at him and said wildly, "I can't go out without a bra on! People will see my … you know. And plus, that's not lady like."

Sensing she needed some convincing, Mark actually grabbed her shirt again and put it back on for her, the form fitting design of it causing the bottom to scrunch up just below her belly button. Then, placing her cardigan back on without buttoning it up, Mark turned Stephanie back around to the mirror, having her to look at herself.

"See. You look like an adult. In this century. My woman doesn't have to go around looking like the town librarian."

Although Stephanie admitted the look was something new for her, along with the hair, she gave a big sigh and decided to just go with it.

It wasn't an everyday thing, at least not yet, and she was willing to try new things in her marriage if it made her man happy.

Then it hit her.

She had referred to Mark in her mind as "her man".

Smiling almost from ear to ear now, Mark, putting his black shades on top of his head and the red bandana, reached his hand out to her and asked, "You ready?"

Smiling, Stephanie gave a resounding yes, before Mark said, "That's my girl," swatting her on the butt a bit, exiting the room.


	32. Work Everyone

One their way back home for their recent shopping trip, even stopping by a self-serve ice cream parlor in Houston on their way back, Stephanie was on cloud nine.

Just as she expected, the people down South had that warm and inviting attitude and charm about themselves that quite frankly others from around the country didn't seem to have, and she really did enjoy being in Mark's company.

Mark had taken Steph to this huge shopping mall, the Galleria, where they seemed to shop for just about everything that she wanted or needed, going from store to store picking up various items, from designer clothes to scented candles, and what's more, he carried all of her bags, didn't whine about how long she took shopping, and actually engaged with her and the salespeople, giving his honest opinion about what he liked and didn't like on her.

He was even helping her further come out of her shell and comfort zone.

While Stephanie did pick up a few pieces that were acceptable for a business or church like setting, Mark insisted on her trying new outfits and ensembles that were sexy, but not necessarily slutty. As Mark reminded her while still shopping in one boutique, whispering in her ear gently, while also rubbing on her backside, which also caught the watchful eye of the salesperson, "Some things are only meant for my eyes and my eyes only."

Afterwards, Mark decided to show Stephanie around various parts of Houston, wanting to further familiarize her with the city.

He showed her around exclusive areas of Houston, similar to what a Greenwich might be, in the River Oaks District, he showed her where to get the best down home Southern food, showed her even more shopping malls and centers, they explored the downtown area, and by the time that they had decided to head back home, night had fallen.

Yes, the day had been glorious for Stephanie, and as she laid her head down in Mark's lap as he drove his heavy duty Chevy pickup back to their home, Stephanie, although she didn't want to spoil the mood, still had a few questions that were unanswered in her mind, so gathering up her courage again, with her head still in his lap, Stephanie forged ahead.

"Mark?"

Still watching the road and answering her, but not necessarily looking down, Mark answered, "Mmm hmm…"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

Sighing, Stephanie blurted out, "Did you have sex with those two girls down in the basement, you know, the blonde and the red head?"

Taking a moment to look down at her, then back up at the road, Mark smiled to himself and thought, _"Ah, Bella and Dee Dee. Two girls who were always up for a good time."_

Looking down at Stephanie again, Mark began rubbing his right hand through Stephanie's curly locks, causing her to close her eyes at the wonderful sensation he was creating. That's when he asked, "Question: if I did, would you be upset?"

Steph knew that Mark already had a feeling that she indeed would be, so she gave him the only answer she could. "Honestly, yes. Mark, those were ring rats, and you know, we haven't used protection, and I don't know if you used that with them …"

"But, if it was _before_ we had sex, do you care about who I've had sex with before you in its entirety, like, everyone?"

Rolling her eyes because she felt Mark was trying to trip her up, Stephanie sneered, "No, you're being silly, Mark. You've probably had more women than the number of days in the year. I'm just concerned that you might have, you know … and then, what about us …"

Sensing where she was trying to take the conversation, still rubbing his hand through her head, Mark replied back, "If you want the truth, I'll give it to you. Yes, I did, well, at least with the blonde, the other one was just head…"

"She gave you fellatio?" Stephanie asked flabbergasted, shooting up in her seat.

"If you want to get technical with it, yes. But realize this little one: I'm not necessarily stupid, if you catch my drift. I've been around long enough to know when to stay and play and when to leave my cards on the table. I'd never do anything to you to jeopardize you or your health. Does that answer your question?"

While it definitely did, and Stephanie was honestly hurt at his admission, she couldn't help but to think about something she hadn't thought of before: she was now married to a professional athlete, and growing up in the business, she knew what went on behind the scenes with these wives and girlfriends.

There were ring rats all over the place, from city to city, waiting sometimes even in the building for certain superstars to accompany them to various clubs and hotels, and some of these guys were married and had families. Would Stephanie end up like them?

Looking over at her husband, biting her lip, Stephanie, visibly upset, asked, "Well, Mark, isn't that _cheating_? You married me and then you had sex with them, and now you're going to be on the road and stuff, and all those girls, I don't …"

"You don't have to worry about anything. Stephanie, you're _my wife_, and I wouldn't give you up not for any woman on this face of this planet. Bella and Dee Dee were just blow offs. We hadn't had sex yet, but now that we have, rest assured, you don't have to worry about anyone or anything coming between us. I only have eyes for you, Princess."

Making sure she had Mark's solemn oath that he'd never have sex with any other woman other than herself, Steph, looking straight into his eyes now, asked, "Mark, do you absolutely promise? I mean, if we're going to do this, then we need to be honest with each other. I honestly don't know if I could stand the heartbreak."

Taking her hand and caressing it into his, Mark looked over while still driving and said calmly, "I absolutely promise." Then, he brought her hand to his lips, kissing it tenderly.

Although still mildly upset about Mark's admission, blushing furiously, Stephanie told herself once again that Mark was being honest with her. So far, he hadn't lied to her about anything, and to her, that's what mattered most.

When she dated guys back in Greenwich, she'd almost need a lie detector test to make her boyfriends tell the truth about anything, so even though his words initially cut through her like a hot knife through butter, Stephanie nodded and tried to tell herself that now that she was Mark's wife, she didn't have to worry about anymore Bella's and Dee Dee's, that there'd only be her, and that no one else would matter, not to him, and definitely not to her.

Looking over at Mark who was still eyeing the road, Stephanie asked another question.

"Well, if I could ask you another question …"

"You can."

"Thank you. Mark, what's going to happen to the company? I mean, what I'm asking is, are you not going to sell it back to my dad?"

"The company is going to be just fine. In fact, I look forward to doing great business with Linda, Vince, and everybody else."

Looking over at Stephanie with that demonic glow in his eyes, Stephanie gulped and looked down, nervous to continue, but nonetheless said, "I mean, if I go to TV in San Diego, what if my dad sees me, and with you being the new majority shareholder by force, don't you think he'll try to take you court, have you arrested, or something like that?"

_"If anything, Vince is probably eating through a tube right about now, so he won't be anywhere near San Diego Monday, but just in case he is…"_

Looking back over at Stephanie, then taking one of her shoes off to massage her foot with his right hand, while his left hand was still on the steering wheel, Mark told Stephanie, "You worry too much. You don't need worry about a thing. Everything is well taken care of. I've already told you, _you_ have the final choice in anything and everything going forward. I wouldn't ever make you choose between your father and your husband."

Nodding, Stephanie, almost in a panic now, retorted, "I know, but baby, what if he sees me Monday? What am I supposed to do? What if he wants me to come home? Then what will happen? What will happen to us?"

Looking back over at her quickly, then refocusing his attention on the road, Mark said, "I thought you might ask that and I'm glad you did. Before this week is out, we're supposed to have a couple of visitors, and through those visitors, you can make your choice then."

Confused, not truly understanding what he meant by her making some sort of choice, Steph leaned up and asked, "Mark, what visitors? Like, what are you talking about?"

Pulling over to the side of the road, Mark stopped the truck and looked over at his new bride. "Stephanie, before I go on, I need to know: do you want to stay here in Houston with me or do you want to go back to Greenwich with Vince and the gang?"

Biting her lip, Stephanie had already made the conscious decision to stay in Houston with Mark because she had honestly fallen for him, but now that she had to think about seeing Vince at TV on Monday, she didn't know what to do.

She didn't want to leave her husband and she didn't want to disappoint her family, either.

Taking a deep breath, Stephanie answered, "Mark, baby, I want to stay with you, you know that."

Leaning on the door now, Mark's eyes glowing anew, he reached his hand out to Stephanie, who took it, pulling her into his arms. Kissing her passionately and rubbing his hands in her head, Mark pulled back and said, "Thank you, baby. But I got another question for you. Remember back in 96, when Bret and Shawn decided they were going to work the boys, have everyone thinking that they truly hated each other but they really didn't?"

Rolling her eyes, because she lived every moment of that fiasco, Stephanie replied back, "Yeah, but look what happened: in the end, they really did hate each other and then Survivor Series happened."

"Exactly. We're not going to let that happen to us."

Still confused, Steph asked interestedly, "What do you mean?"

Placing his hands on her hips now, holding her in place, Mark began telling Stephanie his plan.

"What I mean is this, and once again, it's completely on you; I wouldn't force anything onto you. But, hear me out. Sometime this week, I'm supposed to be getting a visit from your dad's lawyers, his accountant, the WWF's accountant, all that good stuff. The purpose of them coming is to explain in depth what my new role in the company will be, since that decision was made in haste. With that said, I know for a fact that Matthew and Dean, on Vince's behalf, have been looking up for a way to get our marriage either annulled or possibly a divorce."

Hearing the word "annulled" and "divorce" now made Stephanie cringe a bit. At first she wanted to make this whole thing go away as if it had never happened, but now she couldn't. She was too far deep into this relationship, even if they had only been on the same page for only about a day. Stephanie had fallen and Stephanie had fallen fast.

Looking down at his chest now, playing with the fabric of his shirt, Stephanie said, "But I don't want to get anything annulled and I don't want a divorce, either. I want to be with you."

Inside Mark's brain, he now knew, by Stephanie's own admission, that he had her right where he wanted her, but he still had to proceed with caution.

"Good, because I want to be with you, too. Now, since you're here with me in Houston, they're going to tell you that since we lived together, and you were 'forced' into marriage, if you go home to Vince, that'll prove that you stopped living with me once the coercion began. What that means is Steph, once we get our marriage certificate back, then you, with the help of your daddy's suits, can start the annulment process."

Whispering and shaking her head violently now, Stephanie said with hurt creeping up into her voice, "But I don't want that. I want to be with you."

"I know you do, which is why I want you to play it up like you _don't_ want to be with me."

Startled by what Makr had just said, Stephanie had to shake her head for a moment, trying to process what he was telling her. "Wait, what? Baby, what are you saying? What are you talking about?"

Massing her hips with his fingers, Taker continued, "Think about it. We probably have another two weeks or so until our marriage certificate comes back. By telling them that you're still the victim in all of this, that you want to go home, that you're being forced to be with me, that plays up to the annulment and divorce part."

Trying to figure out still what Mark was asking her to do, Steph, confusion written all across her face, asked again, "So you're basically asking me to not only deceive my daddy's employees, but work father and family, as well?"

Nodding slowly, Taker told her, "It's only if you want to."

Trying to make reason out of all of this, Stephanie asked further, "But Mark, what would that prove in the long run?"

"It's to help you more than it helps me. You're making Vince believe you want to come back home, you're making everyone believe that you want to go back home, that the Undertaker is this demonic, evil person, and Steph, you know I can be, but you're holding him off until we finally get everything sorted out for you to live down here permanently. You can only get an annulment in Connecticut if you prove to a judge that you were forced into marriage, and as soon as you got a chance, you hightailed it out of my life once you stopped living with me, and with a divorce, you can only get one of those if we've been married for at least three months. I want you to tell everyone that you don't want an annulment, that you want to take my money from instead in a divorce."

"But Mark, why does it have to be that way? What if I'm actually honest about this whole thing, honest that I want to be with you, then maybe, maybe my dad will come to terms and peace with my decision by having time to cope with it."

Nodding, Mark added, "True, but Steph, you know and I know it won't work like that. If he sees you on Monday, he's going to have you go back home with him, you're going to wait those two weeks, the marriage certificate is going to come in the mail, and he's going to pressure you into getting the whole thing annulled."

Almost in tears now from the mere word "annul", Stephanie shook her head again and said, "But I don't want that. I want to be with you."

"Which is why you should tell your father that you don't want an annulment, that you rather wait those three months long and horrible months with me, suggesting that we get a divorce instead. You're a McMahon, Stephanie, remember that, and you have your dad's calculated genes in you even if you don't know it yet. I want you to tell him, and anyone else that will listen, that you're going to continue living with me for the next three three months so you can divorce me, so with the threat of losing everything I've worked for financially, that I'll have no choice but to sell his stock back to him, and that will make my life more miserable than anything else, that I'm literally going to pay."

Adding up what he wanted her to do, and the months for all of this to take place, Stephanie calculated, "But that'll be the end of July by that time."

Grabbing her face now and looking into her eyes with a look only the Undertaker could give, Mark said deliberately, "Exactly, baby. Up until the end of July, we work everybody. By that time, you'll be settled in your new life here in Houston, you'll come off as the sympathetic wife, because you're having to choose between your husband and your father because you love both of them, and Vince might be pissed, but all will be well at this point. I'll take all the heat for turning your life upside down, I've been taking it anyway, and after that, it will be smooth sailing."

Sensing Steph's anxiety now, Mark lifted Stephanie's head up and brought her eyes back up to his, trying to reassure her. "Stephanie, you're forever going to be Vince's daughter, and one thing you have over Shane that I've noticed over the years, is the fact that Vince will never tell you no. You're his baby girl and he'll never turn his back on you."

Scared and confused by what her husband was asking her to do, Stephanie whispered, "But what if he does tell me no? What if he does turn his back on me?"

Still holding her chin, Mark brought his lips back down to her, kissing her compassionately, and said, "Well, Steph, if that's the case, maybe I was right about Vince all along."

If Stephanie thought at first that she had a dilemma on her hand, then compared to what Mark was asking her to do now, she didn't have anything. Steph honestly did want to stay with Mark. This was the man who had taken her virginity, had given her unbridled passion that she had never felt before, had given her sanity and peace back, and even though he was the one who initially took all that away from her. Steph figured that she just couldn't go back home now.

But asking her to make a fool out of the WWF locker room, the fans, and most importantly, her father, was asking a bit much of her.

Even though Mark had promised that no one would dare think that she was doing all of this on purpose, that she would look like the total innocent party in all of this, what if Vince hated her after finding out the truth? What if Mark was right? What if Vince wasn't the man that she thought he was?

So many questions were burning up inside of Stephanie's head, and Mark, sensing her struggle with the decision she had to make, either a yes or a no, brought his lips back to hers just briefly, revealing to her, "You don't have to make your decision now, but Steph, it will have to be made. Whether you say yes or no, I promise, it won't make a difference with me. We'll just have to come up with another plan to make sure you stay with me, ok?"

Nodding, Stephanie curled up within his arms, as Mark rubbed up and down her back with his mighty hands. Kissing her on top of the forehead, although Mark knew that he was asking a lot of Steph, he too had plans of his own.

The three month waiting period for divorce in Connecticut worked perfectly in his favor because by that time, after he got the belt off Austin on Monday night, by July, Austin would be so worn out he probably wouldn't even be in the WWF. Stephanie, by that time, would be fully submitted to his will, and Mark would truly be the only dominate entity in the World Wrestling Federation.

Biting lightly on her earlobe now, Mark leaned back and told Stephanie, "Come on, let's go home."

Nodding and resuming her position in his lap, Mark put the truck back into gear, driving he and Steph back to their home.

Once they arrived, both of them got out of the truck, but Mark insisted on getting every last one of Stephanie's many bags, with there be at least ten to fifteen of them. Picking the bags up with ease, Mark lead Stephanie back into the house, as the nighttime sky and its stars brightly gleamed overhead.

Stephanie, however, was a nervous wreck. Just when she thought that things were actually going her way, she was getting caught up all over again. Since Mark's hands were full, Stephanie took the keys and unlocked the heavy oak wood door.

Walking inside first, Steph didn't get far at all, because on the ground, just behind the door in the foyer, was a huge white gift wrapped box, with four big holes in the top of it, and a big red bow sitting on top. Walking in behind her, Stephanie asked Mark, "Is this for you?"

Nonchalantly, Mark, putting the bags down and turning his back to her, picking up the mail, replied, "Un huh. Check to see."

Looking at the tag on the box, it was addressed to "Stephanie Calaway."

Bending down to her knees now, Stephanie brushed her hair back behind her ears, then lifted the top of the box to reveal a tiny, yellow and white baby golden retriever!

Breathless, picking up the tiny puppy carefully, who was now licking all over her, Steph looked behind her to see Mark, with his head tilted to the side, giving off a small smirk. Almost in tears, Stephanie cried out, "Mark, you didn't?"

Walking up to Stephanie and the new puppy from behind, bending down, while Steph continuously rubbed all over her gift, Mark said, "You said you always wanted one, right? Well…"

Literally in tears at this point, Stephanie, still in shock that Mark had gotten her a puppy, replied, "Yeah, but I didn't think you'd actually get me one. I don't know what to say," all the while, snuggling against her pride and joy.

Finally, after twenty two years of being on this planet, Stephanie had finally gotten her first puppy, and it was from the man whom she honestly felt she could spend the rest of her life with.

Kissing her tear stained cheek, Mark told her softly, "You don't have to tell me anything. If we're going to be a family, what better way to make things complete?"

Holding her puppy in one hand, Stephanie took her other one and wrapped it around Mark's neck, telling his softly, "Thank you," ending their night in the foyer kissing, wrapped tightly in each other's arms.


	33. Imperfect Angel

The next few days went by like a whirlwind for the new couple. Stephanie settled into her new home and life comfortably, and even though she grew up in extreme wealth and didn't have to do much of anything as far as household maintenance was concerned, she quickly found herself doing things that were expected for the woman of the house in a traditional household setting to do, such as washing dishes, cleaning, doing laundry, going grocery shopping, and doing other household chores.

And even though Stephanie wasn't a natural born Galloping Gourmet, she was enjoying learning the art of cooking. Stephanie was especially impressed about how well of a cook Mark actually was, and although she knew her food probably tasted like dinner at Folsom State Prison, Mark was always there to stand in as a taste tester, giving her pointers and tips along the way.

The only small problem they had initially within their first days as a married couple was the fact that Zeus', Mark's beloved Mastiff, and established dog within the household, had a big problem with April, the 4-week old new Golden Retriever puppy Mark had adopted for Stephanie from the Houston SPCA.

April's mother was struck and killed by a car and her litter was donated to the foundation, which Steph was especially happy about, feeling she could be April's new mommy since her biological one wasn't here anymore.

Steph chose the name April because the month of April itself had become extremely sentimental to her. Not only had she gotten married in the month of April, and lost her virginity within that same month, as well, but that's when Mark decided to gift her with her first pet … and Zeus wasn't happy about that, at all.

Although Zeus initially took to Stephanie like a duck took to water, he obviously didn't think much of April. Whenever she was around, Zeus would bark at her constantly. When Stephanie or Mark would pay their new baby more attention than him, like when Steph was feeding her, Zeus would resort to things like jumping up and down into the air. He even at one point was scolded by Mark for pushing and pawing April, and had even resorted to knocking over April's food and hiding her new chew toys.

So, no, Zeus was not happy about the new addition to the family, and his behavior had literally landed him in the proverbial doghouse on more than one occasion.

And even though Mark had told Steph initially that he wasn't going to limit himself when it came to sex, when they did, which was happening sometimes two or three times within a single day, without the use of a condom, no less, Mark had abstained from ejaculating inside of her. The reason being is because he told Steph that he only wanted bring new life into this world with her when and only when they were both ready for one, and until she found herself a contraceptive, he _would_ be pulling out for now, which warmed Stephanie's heart, because it proved, unlike what most people thought and said, Mark really did have a heart.

And now that he was the owner of the company, instead of him competing in the house shows he was scheduled for, he stayed at home with his new bride, leaving only she, him, Zeus, and April, since Paul had gone back home to Alabama for a few days.

It was Sunday now and everything seemed to be in order. Steph had made a breakfast of pancakes, sausage links, eggs served sunny side up, stir fried potatoes, crisp bacon, and buttery toast, all of which were actually edible, which meant that she must have been getting better at her cooking.

Afterwards while she was cleaning up the kitchen, Mark went outside to work on a lawnmower that was acting up. To Stephanie, this seemed like the life. Once everything in the kitchen was cleaned up and put away, Steph went upstairs to get her and Mark's bags ready for their flight out to San Diego the next morning, but as Stephanie was packing away downstairs, she had no idea that downstairs, as Mark continuously tinkered away at the lawnmower, in his gray muscle tee, that was ripped all the way down to the bottom, exposing his bare and ripped sides, with his bike association's logo printed on the front, and a pair of tight fitting black jeans on, that a very attractive blonde was standing directly over him.

Still working on the lawnmower, noting a voluptuous shadow being casted over him, Mark, not even looking up said, "It would be nice if you could actually start knocking, or better yet, start calling before you just come over here. There's a wonderful little invention called the telephone that's out now. Maybe you should try it."

Laughing a small bit, the blonde, who wore a black suit jacket, with a white blouse poking out underneath, and red pencil skirt, which showed off her killer legs, looked down at Mark and told him sarcastically, "Yeah, and it would be nice if you didn't use coercion, intimidation, and bribery to get what you wanted out of life. There's a wonderful little invention called empathy and compassion out now. Maybe you should try it."

Pulling on the lawnmower string now, agitation rising in his voice now, Mark said through gritted teeth, "Yeah, and maybe I shouldn't be paying you a $150 an hour for your services."

"Yeah, and maybe you'll get sued."

Looking up at his attorney now, who had her hair wrapped in a tight bun in the back, her red lipstick glistening off her extra perky pout, Mark, getting the devil in him now, pulled on the string once more, the lawnmower starting right up now, blowing dust every which way, forcing her to take a step back some, waving her hands in front her face.

Turning it off after a few seconds and then standing up over her, Mark said smugly, "You know, whomever named you Angel, really should have named you Pit Bull instead."

Coughing to clear her throat, Angel retorted sharply, "Yeah, and whomever named you Mark Calaway really should have just named you Lucifer instead."

Nodding, knowing that Angel was witty beyond her years, Mark, putting his hands on his hips, bowed out of this verbal fight. "Fair enough. Now, tell me, what do I owe this pleasure? Did last month's check not go through? You do know today is Sunday, right?"

Walking around the backyard area for a moment, with her hands and briefcase behind her back, Angel smiled and looked around the posh acreage and replied, "You do know that the business day never sleeps, including Sunday, right?"

Turning around to face him now, her black heels clicking on the concrete below her, Angel continued, "I just got a call from Dean and Matthew about two hours ago. They were switching flights and phoned in to let me know that they were going to arrive in Houston, along with a gang of other attorneys, accountants, etc., to go over your new ownership, Mr. Majority Shareholder."

Folding up her arms, licking her red of her pout, Angel said sarcastically, "My, you do work fast, especially when you're at work. Tell me, are you intentionally trying to get fired, then sued, then banned from all of professional wrestling, oh, excuse me, 'sports entertainment', or do you just not give a damn?"

Knowing that Angel was pissed at him for his recent transgressions, Mark, looked down at the five foot five woman, bringing nose directly in line with hers, smiled smugly, replying slowly, "I just don't give a damn."

Dusting himself off a bit, walking into the house, Angel, highly upset that Mark had resorted to his evil and demonic ways on conducting business, to make Vince McMahon, of all people, practically give away his portion of the WWF by kidnapping the man's own daughter, had a piece of her mind to tell him.

Walking behind Mark into the house furiously, Angel told him with frustration mounting inside of her, "Well, you better start giving a damn, because terroristic threats, blackmail, and extortion are all illegal offenses in this country, and will get you fined and jailed!"

Throwing her briefcase on the kitchen counter now, Angel turned around to scold him once more. "I don't know understand you! How could you just risk everything like you did, all on national television no less? You must be smoking those funny cigarettes, Mark Calaway. Do I have to drug test you?"

Opening the refrigerator door, grabbing himself a bottle of water, and opening it up, Mark replied smartly, "Now, with your fancy pants law degree, you should know weed is illegal in this country, you know that. And just like Stephanie up there, you worry too much. Vince isn't going to be doing anything. Everything is well-taken care of."

Gripping the countertop behind her, Angel, with a look of fascination on her face, replied quickly, "Oh, and how would that be? I would love to get to know those little inside plan of yours, and since I'm supposed to be on the inside…"

"Shh… we've already discussed this. Vince won't dare sue me because legally, I'm now married to his daughter. He'll get his company back, but only when _I_ say he gets his company back, but you better believe, I want that belt around my waist first and something in writing that makes it absolutely illegal for Vince to sue me."

Throwing her hands in the air a bit, Angel bit back, "Yeah, that's wishful thinking, especially after you forced the man's daughter to marry you, on live television of all places. Mark, you know, maybe you should just have listened to me and did that on your own time, as I suggested, and maybe …"

Cutting her off once more, Mark cut in, " … And maybe you should just listen. Listen, ok? Steph is all on board with this. I've already filled her in on our plans. We're good."

Walking over to the island and leaning over it now, with a wicked smile of her own on her face, Angel replied, "Oh, you work fast, Mr. Calaway. Has she already committed?"

Folding his arms up with the bottle of water still in his hand, leaning on the refrigerator door, Mark slowly shook his head and said, "No, not yet at least, but she will, soon."

"How soon?"

Smiling evilly now, Mark replied, "Very soon. Don't worry, she'll be eating out the palm of my hand soon enough. She's already nibbling now."

Rubbing her finger along the side of the stove, Angel said in jest, "Well, let's just hope that all goes according to plan. I'd hate for our next conversation to happen through a thick glass and a telephone on either end."

Walking up behind his attorney now, pinning her against the island, Mark rubbed his hands across Angel's chest, speaking in a tone that suggested nothing but horniness, "And miss this occasional fuck? Never."

Rubbing up Angel's silky smooth leg, Mark grabbed her around the calf, lifting her leg up in the air, taking his fingers and rubbing in between her thighs, while also beginning to lightly peck on her neck. Angel, between light enough moans, reminded him in whispers, "You do know you're getting billed for this, right?"

Just when their lips were about to meet from behind, Zeus started to bark furiously from the front of the house. Both of their attention immediately snapping to the front of the house, mark walked backwards away from Angel very slowly, eying her salaciously, licking his thumb, while Angel tried to recompose herself, as she and her client, whom she wasn't supposed to be having on and off again sex with, went to answer the door.

Opening the door to the entrance of the home, Mark had to grab Zeus by the collar, ordering him to heel, because if it he didn't, Dean and Matthew would have been torn to shreds. Zeus, however, was still barking at the unfamiliar strangers, even attempting to pounce on Vince's attorneys, even while Mark had a firm grip on his collar, forcing the men to backtrack to their vehicle.

Smirking wildly, Mark told Zeus "Heel, boy! Down, down! Don't bite them … yet."

Dean, who was now standing firmly behind the sedan's passenger side door, screamed out to Mark, "Mr. Calaway, if you will, please, please put your dog away, sir! We have urgent business to discuss with you today, sir."

Looking clearly skeptical, Mark asked, while still holding Zeus by the collar, "We do? Did you not know that the Sabbath is a day for resting? You guys had all week!"

Clearly not holding Zeus back enough to Dean and Matthew's liking, Zeus looked as if he was about to lunge at both men, resorting in them scrambling to get inside the car.

Rolling down the window once inside, Dean yelled out again, "Yes, Mr. Calaway, please, we know that you are a very busy man …"

"I am."

"… and we apologize for having to meet with you on day such as this, but we really do not mean any harm. We only want to discuss with you your new stake within the company, familiarize you with guidelines, and such, and we'll be out of your hair immediately after sir, we promise you."

Looking around and not seeing the other members of Vince's and the WWF's legal team that were promised to be here, Mark looked around and asked, almost loosening his grip on Zeus' collar once and for all, "Where's the rest of your law buddies? They get lost?"

Swallowing, Dean looking as if he was going to soil his pants at any moment, said back to Mark, "No, no sir. They didn't get lost. They … um … they just figured that a meeting such as this should have taken place in Connecticut, where they could have better suited your needs …"

"So in other words they were scared?"

Swallowing again, Dean taking a chance to step out of the car again, his hands loosening up his tie a bit, replied back, "Well, sir, not necessarily, however …"

Waving him off now, Mark said, "Hey, man, I get it. Your good friends were too chicken shit to come meet me, the new principal owner of the WWF, at his own home. I understand."

Dean, sighing from a sense of relief almost, suddenly bolted back into the car, closing the door in a hurry, desperate to roll up the automatic window, because without Mark, Mark sicced Zeus onto them, the dog barking and scratching wildly at the car, while Mark merely stood back chuckling evilly!

After about five seconds of allowing Zeus to claw away at their car, Mark, walking up to the car and giving Matthew and Dean a death stare through the passenger window, Mark grabbed Zeus by the collar again, ushering him outside into the backyard.

Walking back past Angel, who was standing there with her arms folded up, tongue in cheek, shaking her head back and forth, Mark actually smacked her on her bottom, forcing a small yelp out of her. As he walked back outside, looking at Matthew and Dean through the windshield, as they sat in the car terrified, Mark called out to them with his hands, "I was just fucking with you, I was just fucking with you. Come on in, guys. Zeus ain't gone bother you no more. Come on."

Hesitant, both men sat in the car for another fifteen seconds or so, deliberating if indeed they should go. Mark, sensing the men were still obviously both frightened to death, liking the feeling of cowardice oozing out of their very pores, yelled out to them once more.

"Ok, if you two are not out that car in the next five seconds, and if I go back into that house, do not still be sitting here. Zeus ain't ate yet."

Knowing that Mark more than likely meant every single solitary word, both men eased out of the car slowly, cautious about Zeus. Dean walked under the porch are first, followed by Matthew, and Mark, letting his bullying like ways get the better of him once again, actually made a jumping move at them, almost forcing the men to almost scatter once again, but he was so quick, he actually grabbed Matthew around the collar of his suit while holding Dean by jacket, chuckling loudly.

"Come on boys. I'm just messing with you. Hey, mi casa es sus casa."

Letting the men go now, Dean, attempting to reorganize himself, shakily shook hands with Angel.

"Dean," Angel said extending her hand out to him.

Nodding, almost out of breath from fear, Dean extended his hand back to her, saying, "Angel."

Huffing, Dean continued, "I, um, we apologize for being an inconvenience, but we really must discuss these urgent matters concerning, um, Mr. Calaway here and, uh, the World Wrestling Federation."

Angel, looking over at Matthew curiously now, because he looked frozen solid, eyed him warily, before sayihg, "Yes … Um, well, duty calls. How about we continue this discussion in the family room, gentlemen? Um, Mark, this is your home, I guess you could lead the way."

Mark, holding his arm out, instructing the men to the family room, was whispered to by Angel, "What did you do to Matthew?"

Smiling, still walking, Mark looked back a bit and said lowly, "Just know that it's something I would never do to you unless push absolutely came to shove."

Stopping for a moment to soak what Mark had just said in, eyes almost bulging out her head, Angel composed herself once again and went inside with the other gentlemen.

Starting the discussion off, while Dean looked on terrifyingly, and Matthew looked like he was struggling inside of himself with fear, trepidation, courage, and bravery, Angel said as she was opening her briefcase, sitting down on one of the comfortable looking couches, "Well, gentlemen, uh, let us start our conversation. It is my understanding that we are going to discuss today, Mr. Calaway's rights, rules, and regulations as they concern and pertain to his new ownership of the World Wrestling Federation, correct?"

Dean, clearing his throat again, opening up his briefcase, said, "Um, yes, we are … here to discuss that. And I must say Mr. Calaway, with all due respect, the decision made by Mr. McMahon to have his ownership of the company transferred to you, is legally, sir, unbinding, sir, because of the means you used to extract the business deal."

Mark, who had his arms folded up, looking completely unbothered, allowed Dean to continue.

Clearing his throat again, Dean went on to say, "With that said, sir, even with your attack on Mr. McMahon this past Tuesday, Mr. McMahon is willing to offer you a very lucrative offer sir, in exchange for the transfer of his initial stake, sir."

Looking over at Angel, Mark nodded and asked, "Oh? And what would that be?"

Dean, going putting on a pair of glasses now, read from a sheet of paper, saying, "Well, sir, Mr. Vincent Kennedy McMahon, would like for you to reconsider priority ownership of the World Wrestling Federation by promising you an extended contract, sir, one of ten years, guaranteeing that not only will you be the longest tenured superstar within the company sir, but that you will be the highest paid athlete in the company, sir, behind that of Mr. Steve Williams, better known by his in-ring name as Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Paul Wight, better known by his in-ring name, The Big Show. You'll also be given sir a severance package, sir, of …"

Hearing that both Austin and Show, two men he couldn't stand in the least, who also tried to foil his plans on more than one occasion, were making more money than him, did not make Mark happy in the least.

Waving his right hand in the air and cutting Dean off right then and there, Mark muttered out, "That's all I wanted to hear, and the answer is no."

Looking over at Matthew, who was looking equally perplexed, Mark said, "Nah, see, that just ain't gonna work."

Angel, stepping in now to further explain Mark words, added, "What my client means is gentlemen, while he clearly respects your offer, he is not inclined to take you up on Mr. McMahon's offer, at least not at this point. Mr. Calaway here is looking to further his contract, one of which is beyond that of Mr. Austin and Mr. Wight. With all due to respect to them, Mr. Calaway here has been a vital member of the WWF locker room for almost nine years this upcoming November, and as the most tenured and active member of the current roster, we do require that his contract reflect the brand loyalty Mr. Calaway has displayed for these past eight years."

Looking at each other both with confusion soaring through them, Mark looked down at the open doorway, spotting a familiar shadow at the foot of it. Speaking up now, he said to both men, "And by the way, did Mr. McMahon, your boss, did he mention anything about Stephanie, at all? Contracts are one thing, but wouldn't the welfare of his daughter come first?"

Stephanie, who was at the door, sucked her breath in slowly. She thought she heard a lot of commotion downstairs while she was upstairs packing, but she was so distracted with April wetting a carpet in the bathroom, she had become too preoccupied to investigate.

Leaning around the doorway, she heard the familiar voice of Dean saying, "With all due respect to you, Mr. Calaway, as Mr. McMahon legal councils, we have been advised to not discuss those explicit matters with you here today. All we wish to do sir is further discuss the matter at hand here, which is your ownership of the World Wrestling Federation."

Still playing it up for Stephanie, Mark said, "Ah, I see. Guess Daddy's Little Princess is really Daddy's Little Peasant."

Standing up now and heading towards the doorway, Stephanie watching his huge shadow getting closer and closer to where she was attempting to eavesdrop, she pretended as if she was walking too, bumping into Mark's rock hard chest.

Looking up at him, her breath catching in her throat, Mark looked down at her and smiled, squinting his eyes, then, grabbing her by the nape the neck, ushered her into the family room.

"Ah, Here she is. Steph, you already know your daddy's flunkies, and over there, the blonde, that's my attorney, Angel Scott."

Before Steph could even open her mouth to speak, Mark spun her around to him extra forcefully and said, "Why you're sitting around doing nothing, why don't you go get us something to eat or drink, while the adults do the talking."

Lost and confused as to why Mark was speaking to her like this, with a grip on her arm extra strong, Steph stammered out, "I was just…"

"Hey, I didn't ask you all that. I said go get us something. Be of us for a change."

Steph, appalled that Mark was talking to her like this, snatched her arm away, just as Dean was speaking up once again, "Um, Mr. Calaway, it's no bother really. We really just finished eating along the way, and we're quite full from the flight over, sir."

"Hey, was I talking to you?" Grabbing Stephanie by her arm again, Mark spoke roughly, "No, I didn't think so. I was talking to my wife here."

Turning around and point her finger in his face, Mark continued, "And if I tell her to do something, she's going to do it, ain't the right, _honey_?"

At the word honey, it suddenly dawned to Stephanie that Mark was working Dean and Matthew, as they had discussed previously. Looking over at Angel, who was wearing a devious smile on top of all that red lipstick, Stephanie, although she hadn't quite committed to his plan, swallowed her pride, looked up at Mark, and told him with true disgust rising in her voice, and said, "Yes."

Gripping her arm tighter, which was truly starting to hurt her now, Mark said in one of the most menacing voices she had heard from him in a while, "I didn't like the sound of that 'yes'. How about we discuss this attitude of yours upstairs?"

Matthew, however, finally having seen enough, stood up and said, "Mark, you're taking this whole thing a bit far, don't you think?"

Turning to Matt now, Mark, letting Stephanie's arm go, as she rubbed it, trying to get some of the circulation back in it, while Dean still sat on his end of the couch, looking as if he was attempting to hyperventilate, walked over to him a bit to him and asked darkly, "And just who in the hell are you to question what _I_ do with my wife? Need I remind you that although Vince hires you for his own personal use, you don't _have_ to be hired by the WWF. Matter of fact, I think that boardroom needs a bit sprucing up, if you catch my drift. Isn't that right, Angel?"

Nodding and placing a hand over her hiked up knee, Angel agreed, "Spring cleaning, Mr. Calaway."

Matthew's face was white with fury. First, Mark had almost caused him to pass out with that God-forsaken liquid that he had dampened that cloth with, and on top of that, here Taker was threatening to fire him?! Feeling that discretion was the better part of battle, Matthew sat back down in his seat, before Mark turned back to Stephanie, who looked honestly terrified, and said, "Kitchen, now."

Scurrying out the room, Stephanie, even though she knew this was all supposed to be a game, that they were supposed to be pulling the wool over everyone's eyes until she and Mark could finally live together without question, still hadn't committed to anything, and now it seemed like Mark was going along with his plans without her.

Nervous, breath shaky, arm hurting from Mark's death like grip, Stephanie hurriedly added a pitcher of homemade lemonade that she made herself onto a carrying tray, along with a party platter of various meats, cheeses, and olives that she had picked up from the grocery store. Steph, gathering her courage and taking a deep sigh, headed back into the family room.

Before she could even get entirely through the door, Mark yelled out to her, "There you go woman. What in the hell took you so long?"

Stephanie, without question, shaken, put the tray of food down, and as she was walking out, Taker grabbed her by the arm again, asking her rudely, "And just where do you think you're going?"

Frightened beyond belief, her breath not regulated at all, Stephanie replied almost inaudibly, "I was leaving out so you could continue business and…"

"Did I tell you to leave? Did you have my permission to leave?"

Shaking her head no, Mark demanded, "I didn't think so. You stay here. As a matter of fact when these people leave …"

Matthew, having seen entirely too much of Mark's domestic abuse of Stephanie at his point, then stood up again, speaking up for a girl whom he had known his entire life. "I think we've just about had enough of your blatant disrespect, Mark, especially to a young lady whose done absolutely nothing to you."

Mark, surprised that anyone, especially someone who he considered beneath him, both as a man and as an employee to Vince, was talking down to him, still holding on to Stephanie's arm tightly, said without circumspection, "Oh, really? You have? Well, might I suggest to you that you mind your own damn business before I wear your teeth as a necklace?"

Matthew, who wasn't backing up from the brass of Mark, then told him thoroughly, "And might I suggest to you that the young lady that you are holding forcibly by the arm is one Stephanie McMahon? Mark, you really need to calm down."

Looking down at Stephanie, who was trembling with absolute fear now, Mark looked back over to Matt and spoke loudly, "Oh, so now I'm _Mark_? Gee, whatever happened to Mr. Calaway? Are you trying to disrespect me?"

Pointing at how hard Mark seemed to be gripping Stephanie's arm, Matt blurted out, "Disrespect you as you are disrespecting Ms. Stephanie at this point?"

Pushing Stephanie away from him now, her shoulder hit the mantle of the fireplace, Mark replied, walking up to him like a big cat in the jungle, silently walking up on its prey, "You know what, Matt, you've got a big mouth. Always have. Maybe I should close that big mouth for you."

Angel, stepping in now, seeing this escalate in a direction that she definitely didn't want it to go in, while Dean seemingly coward away in his seat, said, "Ok, how about we just call this one a day, huh, gentlemen?"

Matt, who was remembering how Mark had choked him out with that ether soaked rag, waged on, "Oh, yeah, let's continue this discussion some other time, but before I go, since you're making threats now, _Mark_, how about I just inform you that this little incident today, and the pictures of you and Ms. Stephanie, let's see, in the parking lot at the Galleria, at the Chocolate Bar, an ice cream parlor, oh, and the grocery shopping trip you forced Ms. McMahon to take at Randall's, will and _have_ all been reported to the Mr. McMahon, who I'm sure will be more than obliged, once he's back to proper health, to make your life an absolute hell."

So apparently, someone, probably them, more than likely not, had been following Mark and Stephanie around? While that notion unnerved Stephanie to her very core, the very thought of being followed around again completely devastating her mentally, it delighted Mark to no end.

In fact, them following he and Stephanie around like they were was falling right into his plans. Motioning over to Dean now, who was struggling to stand up, the fear in his legs causing him to tremble quite noticeably, Matthew said, "Come on, Dean, let's get out of here."

Mark, being the smartass that he was, then said looking right into Matthew's eyes, "Yeah, you get out of here. Matter of fact, Zeus…" whistling now, knowing fully well that Zeus was still outdoors, Mark smiled at the men with a look of sheer evil shining through his eyes, said, "…get em boy!"

As both men grabbed their briefcases and made a beeline for their sedan, Mark walked to the door casually, closing it behind them.


	34. Second Thoughts

As the dust kicked up behind the sedan barreling out of the driveway, Mark shut the door and walked back into the family room, where Angel was sitting on the couch, legs crossed, chewing a wad of gum, shaking her head slowly at him, while Stephanie looked as pale a ghost, shaking violently all over.

Even though she kept telling herself that this was all just part of the act, she didn't feel like it was. Mark's actions toward her just then felt so real to her, and so was the way she was feeling right now; her arm and her pride were both hurt.

She tried telling herself that Mark was never going to hurt her again, intentionally or unintentionally, but when he seemingly reverted back to his old ways, it was all simply too much for her, mentally sending her back to a place that she never thought she had to revisit again.

Sensing that Stephanie was legitimately scared, Mark grabbed her about the waist from the front, attempting to comfort her, but she immediately began crying at his touch.

Although his plan was in full motion now, Matthew and Dean were going to report back to Vince about how badly he was treating Stephanie, and that in turn would help him with his future list of demands, he honestly didn't like seeing Stephanie cry like this, and something he rarely felt, remorse, made him instantly feel like a sack of shit.

Rubbing the top of Stephanie's head, attempting to sooth her anguish, Mark looked over at Angel, who shrugged nonchalantly. Obviously, their plan to ruin Vince McMahon was working, however, when it came to Stephanie, Mark was actually beginning to mentally backtrack a bit.

"Hey, come on, what's the matter? It's over with, ok, they're gone, just like we talked about, remember?" Mark said rubbing the top of her head still, trying to stop the onslaught of tears that were rolling down her face.

Stephanie, mentally telling herself that she was being silly, standing here crying in front of a total stranger like this, just couldn't help how she was feeling right now. In those few moments, Steph honestly felt like she was being stalked and preyed upon all over again.

"Mark, I know, but I just feel terrible. Like, you were so mean to me, and I know I said I was going to think about it, but I didn't give you my answer. You went ahead without me."

Burying her head in his chest now, Mark kept rubbing her back up and down gently, still trying to calm her down.

"Steph, baby, I know, but listen. I had no idea they were coming over here today. I told you earlier this week that they were supposed to come, and they didn't. How was I supposed to know that of all days in the week, they'd choose Sunday to make a meeting? You know I would never hurt you on purpose."

Rolling her eyes on the couch, Angel walked over and decided to offer Mark some assistance, since Stephanie was honestly beside herself.

"Mrs. Calaway, I honestly do apologize for getting you involved in this entire situation. And I also apologize for not phoning ahead and informing Mr. Calaway that Dean and Matthew were flying in today, but, they did call on short notice, and since I myself was in church this morning when I received the call, I failed in properly making your husband aware of their imminent arrival, and for that, I offer my sincerest apologies. I take full responsibility in this whole traumatizing ordeal that you've had to experience today."

Looking up from Mark's chest now, Stephanie, through tears, looked over at Angel, eyeing her warily, not believing single a word she said. Her statement sounded very manufactured to Stephanie, and since she _was_ an attorney, and Mark's attorney at that, Steph figured that she probably already had this little pre-spill already rehearsed .

Placing her hand on her shoulder now, Angel told Stephanie, "If it's any consolidation to you, Mrs. Calaway, I would like for us all, finally, to sit down and talk about our plans moving forward, to further prevent this sort of situation from ever happening again, but of course, that's entirely up to you."

Looking up at Mark, through shaky lips, Stephanie nodded, and sat down on the couch, Mark sitting right behind her, pulling her tightly to him, so she could rest her head upon his shoulder and chest.

Walking around the room now, Angel started, "Stephanie, if I may call you that, of course…"

Nodding, Stephanie sniffed through swallowed tears, as Angel continued with her statement.

"… It seems like Mark has made you privy to certain aspects of our little plan for your marriage to fully develop without the interference of your father. What I would like to know is, what part of the plan do you not agree with, and what do you feel that I can do, as your husband's legal representative, to help quell your uneasiness with this little formulated plan."

Trying to regain her sense of self, Steph then managed, "I mean, look what just happened here. I thought I could do this but I can't. Look what I just did!"

Angel, entirely bemused to what Stephanie was saying, asked politely, "And what did you just do?"

"I just deceived two of my father's most trusted advisors! I've known Matt my entire life. He's just like my godfather, Pat; he's always loved me. I haven't known Dean for quite as long, but he's still always been there for my family, through the steroid scandal, through the war with WCW, through Bret leaving the company, he's always been there for my family, and I just put on this charade as if Mark was beating me or something. I mean, I feel … I feel horrible!"

Dissolving into tears again, Stephanie put her face into her hands, crying wildly this time, as Mark continued to rub on her back.

Seeing Stephanie cry had never really had an effect on him before, but now, he was feeling extra funny about making her go through with all of this.

Even though Mark knew what Stephanie _could_ be, after all, she was a McMahon, he suddenly realized those sorts of transformations took, and maybe and and Angel were rushing this whole thing. People weren't born evil the way he was.

Sitting down beside Stephanie now and placing her hand lightly on Stephanie's knee, Angel spoke through Stephanie's tears.

"Stephanie, I completely understand where you're coming from, but you have to realize that this may be the only way that we can save your marriage to your husband. You do want to be with him, don't you?"

Appalled that this woman would even ask her that, since this was the very first time that she and Stephanie had ever even met, Stephanie, sitting up now, half yelled, "Of course. I mean … but … why is that it has to be _this_ way? Can't we do something else?"

"I mean, we can, but, be rest assured that Matthew and Dean are going to report _everything_ they say just saw here today to your father, so, are we truly to start over with a new plan, when this one is seemingly already in motion?"

Mark, continuously rubbing Stephanie's hair and back, then offered his two cents.

"And Steph, I asked them specifically: why Vince didn't want to talk about you here today. They told me that they weren't authorized to talk about you. I keep asking you, who comes first, the company or you? Vince is not the man you think he is."

Shaking her head, Stephanie's brain felt like it was going into massive system failure.

She wanted to be with Mark, but if she couldn't even live with the fact that she was conning Matthew and Dean, how was she supposed to lie to her own father? And why didn't Vince want Dean and Matt to talking about her marriage to Mark? Was everything all truly about business to him? What was the point of following her if he didn't want to talk about her?

So very much confused, Stephanie hugged herself and sat back within the couch. This was all too much for her to mentally handle at the moment.

Placing her hand on Stephanie's, Angel said finally, "I'm going to give you two a few days to think about all of this and discuss this matter further, and whatever you want to do, Mrs. Calaway, we'll move forward from there, however, I do implore you to take a deeper look into your situation, and hopefully, you'll make the right decision."

Standing up from the couch now, Angel went over to the middle of the room, picked up her briefcase, and told Mark, "I'll be in touch."

Sitting up now, putting his hands on Steph's shoulders, Mark asked, "Is it alright if I walk her to the door?"

Nodding yes, Mark kissed Stephanie on the side of the face, stood up, and walked Angel outside.

Turning around once she got under the hot spring sun, Angel said, "What are we to do now? Dean and Matthew are going to keep our plans moving forward, but if _your_ wife can't keep her emotions in check, this whole thing is going to blow up in our collective faces."

Sighing and putting his hands in his head, as Mark was rarely at a loss for a diabolical plan, but now, and he hated to admit this to himself, but his conscience, the small amount that was actually left, was actually playing a game of tug-of-war with his mind.

Placing his hands on his hips, he said looking at the ground, "I know. I know. But, maybe we should keep Stephanie out of this then. If she can't cooperate, what's going to happen?"

Shocked, Angel said through wandering eyes, "Oh, don't tell me Mark Calaway is getting a case of the limber tail. I must jot this date down in my calendar for remembrance."

Looking into the sky now, Mark said as he met her eyes again, "You know damn well I'm not afraid of anyone or anything walking, crawling, or handicap, but you _saw_ how she was in there. You keep talking about jail. Hell, if she can't see the light of day, we _both_ might be in jail, probably sooner than later, and guess what: you're going to go to the all women's prison."

Unmoved, Angel offered back, "Hardy har har. Look, all I'm saying is this: you're _supposed_ to be this master of manipulation. Well, be that. I still say that my method of doing business is better, but since you're so hellbent on causing trouble _your_ way, you do things _your_ way."

Walking up and patting Mark on the side of the cheek, Angel said firmly while smiling, "Let me know if she comes around," before walking off to her car, hitting the alarm system on her bright yellow Chevrolet Corvette.

Mark, with a wicked smirk across her face, then decided to ask, "What I don't get a kiss goodbye?"

Chuckling a small bit, then throwing her briefcase into the passenger seat, Angel walked back and said, "You want to kiss me? With your wife … inside … crying?"

Pulling her close to him now and grabbing a handful of both butt cheeks, Mark licked at her lips and said, "Yeah, and so what?"

Feeling her naked behind now, Mark smacked forcefully, "And what have I told you about not wearing any panties?"

Looking up at Taker with complete lust in her eyes, Angel replied back, "The better to serve you with, _daddy_."

Reaching Mark and pulling her pencil skirt all the way up to her waist, exposing her bare bottom, Taker reached down and grabbed both cheeks with strong hands, kissing his lawyer furiously, her lipstick spreading all over his lips and face.

Reaching down with one hand between her legs, masturbating Angel's slippery and wet folds, Mark broke the buttons on her shirt, reaching down with his lips to suckle her nipples, which had sprung free from her bra.

Moaning a small bit, Angel further hiked a leg up around Mark, reaching for his zipper, before he pushed her away laughingly, as her lipstick was stained all across her face, Angel's breasts and private areas visibly exposed.

Turning his back to her now and chuckling deep, Mark told her, "Go home to your husband, Angel."

Pulling her skirt down and attempting to push her breasts back into her clothing, Angel got inside her convertible, and before roaring off down the stretch of the highway, told Mark loudly, "Fine, but when you find out your little girl in there can't do a real woman's job, you'll be back. I'll fax over my invoice."

And with that, Angel put the pushed the peddle of the yellow sports car down to floor, causing another flutter of dust to spring up in her wake.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Mark carefully walked back into the house, peeping around the door to make sure Stephanie wasn't in the foyer. Luckily for him, there was a half bath just off the staircase before you entered the family room.

Going into the bathroom and washing his face clear of any lingering lipstick, Mark looked at his reflection in the mirror, and suddenly felt another unfamiliar feeling started to sweep through his body: guilt.

Shaking his head, trying to clear his thoughts, he didn't know what had come over him.

Angel had been seeing other men behind her husband's back for ages now, and although they had had sex on numerous occasions, mostly when she would make visits to his home on business calls, he had never recalled ever feeling bad afterwards, not even once, but this time, he did, and what's more, they hadn't even had sex!

He told Stephanie that he wasn't going to cheat on her again, and his true intentions were that he wasn't going to cheat on her _if_ she was around and could find out about it, but seeing Angel and her toned body had done something to him.

He was never able to keep his dick in his pants when she was around. It was a known secret he had a thing for blondes and this one was one of the few women on this planet that could drive him absolutely insane with wanting.

Mentally recalling how, just last year, at a dinner held in Angel's honor, even with her husband walking around looking for her, she and Mark had a full on sex session in a spare bedroom at the mansion the dinner was being held at, brought that evil smile back to his face.

If he didn't feel any remorse about that, even going back into the dining hall right after he finished sexing the man's wife, and sat directly next to him, why in the world was he now feeling guilty about just kissing her? He didn't even feel any compassion for Kane, the Big Red Retard, and that was his own brother!

_"It's Stephanie,"_ Mark told himself deeply.

Spending these past few days with her, had honestly made him see her in a whole new light. She was fun, bubbly, and saw the good in him even when everyone else knew him for exactly what he was: an evil jackass.

At first, like he told her, Stephanie was only meant to be a pawn in his scheme to take over the World Wrestling Federation, then, as time went on, with Vince seemingly getting the upper hand in his battle for supremacy, he became literally obsessed in making Stephanie his wife, only in vain, wanting to literally make her his new prize in his well stacked trophy case, but now, it seemed like he was actually developing feelings for her, and that was something that was hard for him to understand why.

He didn't have feelings for anyone, and throughout his thirty four years of living on this Earth, he had developed a very chauvinistic view of women: they were only good for cooking, cleaning, and fucking.

But with Stephanie, there was something different there.

He had made love, not just sex, to Stephanie at least three times now, and he didn't do that with just anybody. When he told Paul to purchase that puppy for Stephanie, again, initially it was only to further emotionally reel her in more, to help him further gain the advantage against Vince, by using his own daughter against him, but now, seeing how much Stephanie had already fallen in love with April, it warmed him in places he didn't know he could be warmed anymore. They were connecting on more than just a superficial level; they were connecting mentally and physically, and if Mark could feel it, he could only imagine what Stephanie was feeling right about now.

Making sure he was positively clean of Angel's lipstick, Mark literally hit the light switch on the wall, turning the light to the room off. Walking back into the family room, where Stephanie was still sobbing lightly, Mark pulled Stephanie up lightly from the couch, wrapped his arms around her strongly, while Stephanie buried her face in his neck.

"I'm so sorry, baby," Stephanie mouthed out, still sobbing.

Confused as to why she was apologizing to him, Mark said slowly, "Don't be. You don't have anything to be sorry about. I'm the one who should be sorry."

And the strange part about him saying that was, he actually meant what he was saying in that moment, and Mark didn't apologize to _anyone_.

Still talking into his neck, Stephanie shook her head, and then sitting down in front of him, eyes casted to the couch, said again, "No, you shouldn't be sorry. I'm your wife and you expect certain things of me, and I just couldn't handle it…"

"Shh… I told you before Steph, and I meant this: if you don't want to do it, then you don't have to. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do ever again, I promise."

Nodding, Stephanie had her head lifted up by Mark, who went on to say, "What happened today was totally unexpected and completely my fault. I didn't know they were coming over. I only found out they were coming when Angel came over, but I'm telling you, if you don't want to go through with our plan, you don't have to. Matter of fact, I'll leave you out of everything from now on."

Unlike Angel, Stephanie could hear the sincerity in Mark's voice, which was definitely rare. But she was so conflicted and confused, she didn't know which direction to go in.

Finally, taking in a big gulp of air, Stephanie said, "But baby, now they're going to tell my dad. I have to go along with it now. Our marriage is literally at stake."

Finding herself in tears once again, Mark leaned back on the couch and pulled Stephanie into his arms, brushing her hair out of her face. Kissing the top of her forehead, Mark offered, "Steph, you're not ready for this. I think you know better than anyone else, hell, you grew up in this business, when you become a professional wrestler, you have to rude, calculated, and sometimes, downright evil. It's not right to force this onto you now."

Although Stephanie knew what Mark was saying was true, after thinking about what he said, especially about why Vince didn't want Dean and Matthew to bring her up in their conversation with him today, Stephanie figured that the only way she'd ever get answers out of her dad is if she could get face to face with him, and tomorrow night would be the perfect opportunity.

Plus, she really wanted her marriage to work out. She had deep rooted feelings for Mark now, and she wasn't willing to turn back the hands of time.

Gulping again, Stephanie said, "But, I can learn. I have to. It's the only way we'll have a chance of living a normal life. If we get do this, then after those three months, I can come home, be here, and stay off TV. Then life for us truly will be normal."

Mark, knowing his wife meant well, then asked, "Ok, well, answer me this and we'll go on from there: how will you be able to keep your composure? Steph, I know you. You're an emotional woman. Tough as shit when you want to be, but if you couldn't do this today with Dean and Matthew, how are you going to do this for the entire roster, then your dad? I'm honestly trying to look out for your well-being. I don't want to see you crying again."

Nodding, Stephanie knew that she didn't have any choice now. It was either do this and keep her husband, or go back home and start the process of divorce, and she definitely didn't want to do that.

Looking into Mark's eyes, Stephanie replied softly, "Mark, I don't have a choice. I think I'm in love with you, and if I don't, what will happen to us? I honestly can't imagine my life without you now."

Once again, something rarely happened to Mark, and that was a golf ball sized lump forming in his throat. Stephanie had actually admitted that she was in love with him, and even though he wasn't quite yet ready to say those words back to her, he knew that her feelings for him were real now.

Kissing her gently, after separating themselves, Mark said, "Thank you, baby. Do you honestly think you can do this? Tomorrow at TV, do you think you can go on live television and tell the whole world what an evil person I am, how horribly I've been treating you, stuff like that, when you really don't feel that way?"

"Mark, you've already said you're used to taking heat, and although it might be character assassination in the beginning, when the truth comes out, we won't have anyone to answer to but ourselves, right?"

Realizing just then that Stephanie was now willing to risk everything for him, seemingly brought back up the demon inside of him. She was now willing to tell Vince to shove it, but of course, that would take a bit more mental maneuvering.

Then, on the other hand, it also meant that she obviously cared for him very much, and if he was going to continue this most dangerous game he was playing, he had to go completely under the radar about his true intentions. Before, hurting Stephanie was part of thrill. He honestly didn't care about her feelings, but now, things had changed.

Nodding slowly and telling Steph, "Whatever you want to do, I'll be there right with you on it."

Testing Stephanie now, to make absolutely certain that she meant every word she was saying, Mark slowly brought his lips to hers again, locking them in an erotic embrace, while he simultaneously began taking off her shirt.

Allowing him to do so, Mark slowly began kissing all over Stephanie's nearly naked chest and back, then, slowly gliding down her body, began kissing his way back up Steph's shaky stomach, taking his wide tongue and lacing it over her belly button, causing Steph to squirm and shriek intimately from the feeling.

Reaching up to take off her bra, exposing her petite mounds, Mark slowly licked all the way from the top of her pants, over her bully button again, up her stomach, and finally began licking between the middle of her breasts, making Steph arch her back in joy.

Suckling there for a moment, while he took his index finger and thumb on each hand, lightly pinching both nipples, flicking them between his fingers, her areolas scrunching up from the stimulating touch, Mark then slid his warm and wet tongue over her shoulder, licking from the base to the middle of her neck, settling there, making himself comfortable in between her pulsating flesh.

"Yes, baby, oh, oh…," Stephanie gasped through orgasmic heat flowing through her veins.

While Stephanie sexually made herself busy by wrapping her long legs around Mark's waist tightly, lightly sinking her nails into his back as she went, scratching up his exposed sides, Mark began speaking inside her ear, biting at her ear lobe again slowly, relaying a message of "I love the taste of you," slowly.

Turning her head to kiss his lips now, Mark returned the lip lock, reaching inside the waistband of her pants, pulling them down slowly, Stephanie twisting her body and moving her legs in an attempt to help him remove an article of clothing that was only momentarily hindering their love making plans.

Once her pants were removed, Mark began massaging her through her panties, enjoying the sensation of her overflowing juices entirely soaking the fabric of her underwear. Smacking her soundly wet panties with the palm of his hand, rubbing his fingers up and down the dense fabric, a course sensation Stephanie was thoroughly enjoying, Mark flipped Stephanie over on her stomach before she knew it.

Yelping, Stephanie looked back at Mark, who lifted her ass up by the hips, molding her supple cheeks in the palm of both hands, slapping his hands on both faces of her behind, causing for a bit of rosy color to rise where his hands conveniently landed.

Moaning out, Stephanie bit her lips from the erotic sensation. Although she was still upset about what had just transpired, for whatever reason, when Mark put in the effort to make her feel better, she absolutely did. All of her thoughts from the previous moments would completely vanish.

Mark knew ways of manipulating Stephanie's sweet body, and even her mind, in ways that others simply couldn't, in ways that Stephanie didn't know where even possible. Arching her back at his profound whacks to either cheek, one after the other after the other, her behind now offering a sensationalized buzzing, but not the same way that buzzed when Mark first spanked her, but in a sizzling, tantalizing way.

Rubbing his hands all around her bottom now, seemingly molding her sensitive flesh, Stephanie, for whatever reason, her hair messy from squirming, trying to playfully run away from Mark's sharp pats to ass, looked back at her man, squinting her eyes with lust, biting her painted pink lips, her tongue lapping over them, as Mark, extremely turned on, the bulge in his pants growing bigger and bigger by the second now, then took his fingers, yanking Stephanie's girlish pink panties down forcefully, almost ripping them.

Biting her fingers now, the anxiety of what was going to happen next actually being an extreme turn on for her, Mark grabbed both her butt cheeks with big wide hands, spreading them wide with, pushing them back together, then spreading them back wide again, as Stephanie's breath coming in pants now was very audible.

Pushing her body up by her butt now, Stephanie's head resting on the arm of the couch, Mark slowly lowered his head to savor her pink and creamy center, sticking his long tongue between both of her succulent lips, taking his tongue and licking from the top of her clit to the end of her vagina, licking once, and only once, as Stephanie, from both shock and surprise, jerked her head back in euphoria.

Her body again was shaking, but this time, it was shaking from desire and longing. Only one lick of Taker's tongue almost turned her inside out. Steph, who was being consumed by the aftermath of his intoxicating mouthy caress, suddenly felt Taker slap his penis against her drippy vagina.

With her body craving the feeling he was about to bless her with, Stephanie literally pushed her hips back into his direction, biting her lips again, making throaty whining noises from the sheer anticipation, rolling her ass around in a circle.

Smirking, not wanting to wait any longer himself, taking his shirt off and exposing her bare chest and abdominal muscles, Mark thrust himself inside Stephanie's tight center, pulling her hips back as he made slow, pronounced pounding motions into her body. It wasn't fast, but it wasn't exactly love making either. It was hard and methodic, and Stephanie was loving every moment of it.

Every push inside her vagina, which was making beautiful swishing sounds, was forceful and deliberate. Crashing his pelvis into her hips, Mark began those ravenous slaps to her butt again, then leaning his bulky body over her for a moment, came back up, bringing Steph's slender hips back to his hard thrusts by both shoulders. "Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh, God! Aah—"

Just as Stephanie was burying her head into the couch from the sheer sexual rhapsody she was experiencing, Mark, with his left hand still on her shoulder, moving her hip back into his continuous onslaught of deep thrusts, with his right hand, reached up and grabbed a handful of Stephanie's hair, wrapping it around his hand as he continued to push off into her, forcing her to turn her head to the side, the distinct sharp pain from her locks being twisted was strangely arousing to her.

Gasping, getting a glimpse of Mark determined face, with that diabolical looking beard that she once hated, pointing down at her body, his lean and toned pecs bouncing up and down with each push inside of her, Stephanie felt herself teetering over the edge.

Leaning his weight into her body, forcing her flat on the couch, her hair still wrapped around in his fist, Mark began asking of Stephanie, his mouth close to her ear, "You're going to do what daddy tells you to do, aren't you?"

Nodding yes, Mark, licking inside her ear, forcing Steph to arch her back against him, however, wasn't satisfied.

"Un uh. Un uh. I want to hear you say it. You're going to do what daddy tells you to do, huh?" And with the "huh", Mark plunged himself into her extra hard, forcing out a guttural "Yes! Shit, God, yes!" out of Stephanie! Cupping her breast with his left hand, then sliding it down to her clit, thumbing it roughly, pinching, Stephanie's back shaped in a "U" position, Mark asked again, "What are you going to do for me, huh baby? What are you going to do?"

About to go insane with the extreme need to climax, Stephanie, rolling her hips around, in an attempt to push herself past the brink, screamed out, "Whatever it is you want to me, daddy, whatever, I … SHIT! OH, GOD, SHIT!"

Knowing Stephanie was almost at her apex again, Mark asked her once again, "Say it! Say 'I'm going to manipulate Vince. Don't say daddy. I'm you daddy!"

Rolling her eyes, in a fever, Stephanie, knowing what she was about to say was wrong, just couldn't help herself. She was in love with a man whom she wasn't supposed to be in love with, but it felt so right.

"I'm going to manipulate Vince! I'm going to manipulate Vince! I'll do it, baby, I'll do it! Please, I can't…" Leaning down again and biting her neck, sucking with extra commitment, Stephanie's eyes began rolling even harder than before.

Mark started pumping harder and faster now, his fingers wet as he continued to massage Stephanie's creamy nectar, as it seemed like both he and Stephanie were racing for the end of the finish line.

Steph, feeling an orgasm coming, began screaming as loud as she could, closing her eyes, relishing the moment, curling her toes, and sinking her nails into the back of Mark's neck, absently drooling all over herself.

Mark, who was climaxing immediately after her, briskly pulled his still rock hard penis out of Steph's warm and inviting body, spewing a stream of semen onto her backside.

Not realizing that both of them were sweating, Mark looked down at Stephanie, who was breathing extremely heavy, as her mascara had run all down her face, her pink lipstick smudged on both cheeks, was equally exhausted, as well.

Rubbing her hand over his damp chest, for once, Stephanie took the reins, pulling on Mark's shoulder, bringing his lips down to hers, their tongues violently clashing in the process.


	35. Stephanie vs Saphirra (Part 1)

After finish packing and locking everything up in the house, the next morning, Stephanie and mark drove the hour plus drive back to George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Although Stephanie was with Mark and always enjoyed his company, she was going to miss both Zeus and April very much while they were away. They had just become a family and already they were being separated, which hurt Stephanie deeply, having to leave their two four legged companions behind for an extended period of time.

Being that Mark was going to participate in a few house shows after Raw, for the purpose of fulfilling his contractual obligations, even though he didn't have to now, and to convince everyone still that Mark was still holding Stephanie against her will, the dogs had to stay behind in Texas.

One thing that did ease her mind a bit, however, was the fact that an estate manager would come by to check on Zeus and April every day that they were away, feeding and grooming the two pups, get the mail, answer phone calls, and do other household duties and chores that they weren't able to do since they were both on the road again.

Stephanie wasn't too particularly worried about this because her family always had employed various individuals throughout the years to take care of their home in Greenwich, but what did make her nervous was the constant thought of going to Raw, with her husband, whom she was admittedly in love with, pretending that he was a total jackass, and that couldn't be any further away from the truth.

Although Steph still wondered why Mark did some of the things he did, she never, even when he and the Ministry were stalking her, harbored resentment towards him. Maybe that was part of the the reason why she fell in love so quickly.

After making it to the airport a bit early, getting their boarding passes, having their luggage checked, and simply waiting around to board the flight, Stephanie and Mark had to begin their game a bit early.

Mark had warned her along the way that even though he was low-key everywhere he went, people still recognized him, and fans would especially notice her now that she was a new entity on television, so the best thing they could do to protect their image was for Mark to act like the domineering husband, while Stephanie created a facade of a fearful wife, but not to the extent which would warrant the cops being called.

And it worked. A couple of fans did recognize them, taking pictures of them together from a distance, pointing, whispering, and such. Initially, all the attention they were receiving made Stephanie a bit nervous, which only added to the illusion, but looking over at Mark, who looked cool as a cucumber while reading a copy of _Car & Driver Magazine_, did sooth her mental angst some.

And when it was finally time to board the flight, Mark, knowing the fans were looking for a spectacle, quickly grabbed Stephanie by the hand, literally yanking her through the terminal.

When they were out of sight of overzealous fans, Mark looked down at Stephanie to make sure they were still on the same page, and Stephanie actually found herself laughing.

Mark, sensing this preliminary warm-up could actually make Stephanie a better actress for tonight, looked down at her as they were going outside to the plane, smiling deviously, telling her, "I told you."

Still smiling, Stephanie curiously asked back, "Told me what?"

Mark, knowing what Stephanie could be once every drop of innocence was squeezed out of her, simply just shook his head and replied back, "You'll see."

Once they got passed the stewardesses, handing them their boarding passes, Stephanie was surprised when they were actually escorted to their first class accommodations. Once seated, noting this particular level of service much surpassed that of the coach service she had to endure on the last flight, Stephanie hit Mark in his arm hard.

Turning his head towards her slowly, with that bright sparkle in eyes that suggested that he knew what Steph was about to ask, Stephanie asked baffled now, "How is it that, with a sore behind, we were seated in coach, but now, I'm perfectly fine, and we're seated in first class?"

As Mark shrugged innocently, Stephanie hit him in the shoulder again, with him playfully reminding her, "You do know domestic violence goes both ways, right? I would hate to inform these nice flight attendants that my wife is beating me."

Steph, sticking her lips out, looking very skeptical of his phony threat, clearly wanting an answer, stared a hole straight through mark until he finally came clean.

"Well, if you must know, _Chyna_, I have a first class travel clause in my contract. The only reason why we got moved to coach last time was because the original flight got cancelled and they couldn't accommodate us, so I took the coach seat instead. Make you feel better?"

Feeling a little bit better that Mark hadn't subjected her to the uncomfortable seating of coach just to irritate her behind further, Stephanie then came to another stark realization.

"Well, what about business class? Could they not fit us in there?"

Mark then simply gave that wicked smirk again. That time, Stephanie knew the answer was yes.

Pushing at his arm now, Stephanie said half smiling, half frowning, revealed, "I think I need a little retribution for your trick."

Whispering in her ear now, Mark replied slyly, "It was for your own good."

Rolling her eyes then smacking her lips in disbelief, Steph said finally, "Yeah, sure."

And with that, they were off.

The first class seats, which reclined, just in case passengers wanted to sleep, and had plenty of leg room, were definitely more comfortable than the cramped seats she found last time in coach. The first class accommodations also afforded Stephanie with pillows and blankets, and a delicious chicken, broccoli, and rice dinner, coupled with white wine, which she only took a sip of, since she honestly wasn't much of a drinker.

After about a three and a half hour flight, the plane landed at the San Diego International Airport around 10 o'clock locally, and Stephanie was sick to her stomach. Not from the food or from nausea from the flight landing, but from the thought that she was getting closer and closer to showtime.

In Houston, Stephanie was pretty confident about doing what Mark was asking of her, and frankly, now that she was so involved with him, and Matthew and Dean had seen all of what they had saw, Stephanie honestly didn't have a choice anymore.

But now that she was actually here, she had a million questions floating through her mind.

How could she blatantly lie to her own father? And July was a long time away. How would she be able to keep this a secret from the entire locker room for that long? And even if Mark did take all the heat, would people hate her once the truth was revealed? Would people turn their backs on her because she was a willing participant in this hopefully well-orchestrated plan?

After the plane landed, Mark and Steph walked hand in hand through the airport, still putting on a bit of a show.

After going through baggage claim and freshening up in the restrooms for a few minutes, the two walked outside to where a gentleman, in casual clothing, was holding a sign that read "Calaway".

The man, "Phil", greeted both Mark and Stephanie warmly, before handing a clipboard to Mark.

Signing the document that Phil had handed over, the gentleman then passed Mark a set of car keys. Shaking his hand once again, Stephanie sat in the car, while Mark loaded their luggage inside the trunk. Once behind the driver seat, Mark and Stephanie took off in the direction of their hotel room.

San Diego was beautiful in scenery, and the airport was literally surrounded by San Diego Bay.

_"If only I had a camera,"_ Steph thought peacefully.

Reaching out to lace her fingers with Mark's, he gently kissed her hand, Stephanie feeling completely loved. The beautiful surroundings coupled with the fact that she was with a man she could actually see herself spending the rest of her life with, again washed all of her troublesome thoughts away.

As Mark's cell phone began to ring, he momentarily let go of the steering wheel, reaching into his pocket to retrieve it. Upon answering it, however, although Stephanie didn't immediately notice, being all but consumed by the natural beauty that was San Diego, Mark's whole demeanor had changed.

She felt it soon enough, however, when Mark's warm embrace of her hand turned painful.

Turning her head to see why he was squeezing her hand so hard, Steph slowly tried to slip her hand away once she realized that he must have been on the phone talking about the show, since his face was now rock solid, his eyes no longer showing a deep desire for his wife.

No, once again, Mark was the Undertaker again, and instead of asking what was wrong, Stephanie simply turned her head back out the window, taking in more of the scenic view.

After arriving at the hotel, which was also surrounded by water, Stephanie had to go directly back into acting mode again, because news of where the superstars were staying while in town had obviously leaked out, since there were several fans outside being courted off by the hotel's security, all trying to get an exclusive first look at the next crop of superstars coming into the hotel. Some were even waving Austin 3:16 foam fingers, while others snapped photos of the superstars arriving in their cars, the flashing lights of the cameras actually blinding Steph.

Putting his dark glasses over his face, Mark popped the trunk open to the car, as an awaiting bellhop retrieved all of their luggage immediately. Once he closed the trunk back down, Mark looked over to Stephanie, telling her, "Come on."

Once he opened the car door, the fans were considerably louder than Stephanie had anticipated. The cheers and jeers they were giving the superstars and Divas as they walked into the hotel was nearly deafening.

Not getting out of the car fast enough for his liking, still playing things up for the fans, Mark nearly yanked Stephanie from the passenger seat by her arm, ushering her into the hotel's lobby area.

"Hey, you suck Taker!" screamed a fan, who was leaning over the velvet rope that separated the fans from the superstars. With one swift motion, however, Mark turned his whole body and descended on the fan!

Startled, with Mark's quickness catching the fan off guard, the fan fell flat on his behind, and while Mark returned to the hotel, as the other fans "oohed" and laughed at the scened that had just taken place.

Stephanie, nervousness showing all over her face, was grabbed by the arm again by Mark and escorted to the elevator, where they had to wait outside of it, since there was a line to even get on it.

That's when Stephanie looked over at Val Venis, who was wearing a simple white T-shirt, a pair of blue jean shorts, black boots, and a fanny pack, who was also staring back at Stephanie curiously.

This obviously caught the eye of Mark, who then cocked his head to the side, asking Val warily, "Is there a problem?" his tone not one for friendly conversation.

Val, not wanting to make a scene, simply held up both hands into the air and walked backwards carefully. Val obviously didn't want any issues with Mark; he had enough issues of his own to deal with.

Stephanie, for whatever reason, however, looking up at how tense Mark seemed to be now, didn't necessarily feel like this was still all part of the show.

Once they got onto the elevator, Stephanie and Mark went up to the 11th floor, where they then entered their hotel room, which was absolutely stunning!

The room was decorated in modern furnishing, had a gorgeous panoramic view of the San Diego Bay, a separate living room area, separate from their spacious bedroom, and an absolutely immaculate bathroom, completely outfitted in marble countertops, and was at least 340 sq. ft. in size.

In the bedroom, staring out the window, looking down at a slew of sailors in their sailboats below, Stephanie walked up behind Mark, wrapping her arms lovingly around her husband. Although he ran his hands over Stephanie's soft skin in an brief exchange, Stephanie could tell that Mark had a lot on his mind, and she knew that his thoughts were not pleasant, either.

"What's wrong, baby? Did I do something?"

Looking down at his wife straddling him, Mark had a lot on his mind, and all of his thoughts consumed one man: Stone Cold Steve Austin. But tonight, the Undertaker Era would begin, whether Austin was aware of it or not.

Rubbing his hands back over Stephanie's arms, Mark said darkly, "No. But…"

Turning around to face her now, Mark told Stephanie, wrapping his arms around her, as well, looking down at her, "I do want you to get ready for tonight. Saphirra will be up here in a few minutes. I have to go make sure everything is set for tonight."

Rolling her eyes at the mere thought of being in Saphirra's miserable presence again, Stephanie exclaimed sarcastically, "Whoop-de-doo!"

Steph hated being around Saphirra now. The girl was absolutely psychotic, if not borderline schizophrenic, and Stephanie didn't want anything to do with her.

Walking off, very disappointed that Mark was leaving her all alone with a potential maniac, Stephanie sat on the bed, hugging herself.

Stephanie knew the ins and outs of the business almost, and she wasn't understanding why Mark was leaving her at the hotel.

When she was with Vince, they were, ninety nine percent of the time, there before everybody else even arrived, planning for matches, doing logistics, and production work, and Stephanie had even helped to agent a couple of matches, so leaving her behind as if she were a child was very hurtful to her.

Shaking her head, Mark walked in front of Stephanie, bending down trying to lift her face with his fingers, but she turned her head in silent protest. "Hey, hey, what's with that face, huh?"

In disbelief, Stephanie, still shaking her head, said, "Mark, you know she hates me, right?"

Knowing Saphirra had become very protective of him since her transition, Mark shook his head and answered, "No. She just doesn't trust easily. You're still a McMahon to her."

"And she's still Ryan to me, so I guess we're even," Stephanie replied back sharply. She just wasn't in the mood for Saphirra's shenanigans today. She had a lot on her mind, and if Saphirra were to push her buttons, then …

Breaking up her thoughts, Mark replied grinning, "Yeah, I guess you are."

Turning Stephanie around to face her again, Mark, rubbing her hair softly, said to her lightly, "Steph, I have to take care of some business. Doesn't really concern the women, plus, I have a surprise for you, that's why I want you to stay here."

Not even the thought of a surprise could make Steph happy about bing in Saphirra's presence any longer than necessary, but she attempted to go along with it.

"What kind of a surprise, Mark, because I'm telling you, if she comes in here looking at me funny, being extra mean when she doesn't have to be, there's …"

Shushing her again, but internally loving the fact that finally, Stephanie was showing some aggression, Mark kissed her lips, then pulled back, informing her lowly, "Don't worry about what it is exactly. Just know that you're going to like it, ok? Stop worrying."

Nodding, however not necessarily convinced, Mark went about rubbing her hair again, when they got a knock on the door.

Walking away, leaving Stephanie in the bedroom, Stephanie could hear the distinct voice of Paul Bearer. Knowing that Mark was about to leave her, Stephanie, sitting on the bed when Mark returned to the room, visibly upset, was kissed on the lips again, but when his kiss wasn't reciprocated, Mark walked away backwards, his own hands up in the air now.

"Ok. I'll leave you alone then. Geesh."

Giving in, Stephanie walked up to him and lifted herself up by her tippi toes, offering him her lips, which he took, holding her in place as they French kissed for another 30 seconds, leaving Stephanie all but breathless after they broke away.

"Come on, Wendy, we've got work to do!"

Paul called from the living room. Rubbing her sides now, Mark looked down and told Stephanie, "See you tonight at the show, ok? If you're hungry, make Saphirra order you some room service or something."

Nodding at her husband, Mark walked out of the room, leaving Stephanie all alone. Falling back into the bed, although comfortable, Stephanie's mind was not.

She wouldn't see Mark again until the show began, which was another eight hours away, she had to spend the rest of the day with a woman who had made it very clear that she did not like Stephanie, and she still had to go through with their plan tonight.

Wanting desperately to ease her mind, Stephanie began walking around the suite, turning her head towards the entrance of the doorway quickly when she heard the doorknob twisting.

As expected, sSaphirra was entering the room, this time carrying a large suit protector and another black travel bag. Knowing Saphirra didn't want her help, and quite frankly, even if she did, she wasn't inclined to offer it to her, Stephanie sat down on the couch, staring blankly out the window.

Saphirra came over and stood in front of her after catching her breath, saying, "Come on. We don't have a lot of time. Master is expecting nothing less of pure perfection tonight, and I intend on doing my part."

Stephanie hated when Saphirra called Mark "Master", because he wasn't Stephanie's master.

Maybe Saphirra truly thought of herself as a slave or something, but Stephanie surely did not, and she wasn't about to continue to allow Saphirra to boss her around, either.

Upset, irritated, and agitated, Stephanie snapped back, "Go, where, Saphirra? Plus, Mark said he had a surprise for me."

Hearing the name "Ryan" and "Mark" turned Saphirra seemingly inside out, and before she knew it, she was in Stephanie's face, nose to nose, bending down in her face, yelling at her, "Who do you think you are? Just because Master has taken your little precious virginity, doesn't give you the right to blatantly disrespectful! You are to address him accordingly, and my name is Saphirra, get it through that thick skull, _McMahon_!"

Stephanie, who would usually be intimidated by such a threat coming from this mad woman, absolutely couldn't take it anymore. She had more things on her mind that Saphirra could ever imagine, and she simply couldn't take Saphirra's delusions of grandeur any longer.

Pushing her out of her face forcefully, Stephanie nearly leapt to her feet, but instead of getting physical with her, Stephanie, in a voice that she didn't even know she had, which was huskier than her usually squeaky voice, and more forceful than nice, retorted, "Listen, _Ryan_, or is it, _Bitch_, maybe you've been in the bed of one too many men, but you _will not_ continue to disrespect _me_!

Don't you forget who you're talking to! I'm Stephanie _Calaway_ now, and while you still may call me a _McMahon_, I'm the one …" Stephanie reminded, as she wriggled her ring finger in Saphirra's face, making the girl's lip quiver in anger. " …I'm the one with the ring on _my_ finger. If I wanted to, I could have _Mark_ fire your crazy ass, right here, right now, or better yet, won't I do it, since I'm still a _McMahon_, right, _Ryan_?"

Stephanie was tired of being bullied. She was starting to believe that Saphirra was the one that was in love with Mark the way she was acted!

Stephanie, coming to the realization that she had never spoken to another woman like she had just done Saphirra in her entire life, wasn't backing down, and seemingly, neither was Saphirra.

Both women's eyes burned a wicked fire, and it was truly a wonder why the two didn't suddenly come to blows!

Saphirra, knowing how disappointed her master would be if she were to actually give, technically, her new mistress, the trashing she felt she deserved, walked away backwards from Stephanie, laughing hysterically. Stephanie, not knowing what to expect from her next, was then told by Saphirra, who still giggling like a small child, "Master's surprise starts right now."

Pointing to a chair in the dining area, Stephanie, cautious of this increasingly mentally unstable person, sat down in the chair, carefully eyeing Saphirra as she unzipped the travel bag, pulling out a hair brush. Walking behind Stephanie, Saphirra, not saying a single word, then began brushing Stephanie's hair gently.

Stephanie, confused as ever, not knowing what to think or what to do, did the only thing that came natural to her now that she had seemingly put Saphirra in her place, and that was sit there quietly, as Saphirra, with a maniacal smile plastered all across her face, continued to brush Stephanie's hair in silence.


	36. The Slap Heard Round the World

For the rest of the day up until the show, Stephanie was pampered and primped by Saphirra.

After lightly brushing her hair, after their huge verbal blowup, Saphirra treated Stephanie almost like a queen, despite the fact that they spoke less than twenty words to each other for the rest of the day.

After brushing her hair, and applying a special oil to a warm bubble bath, which made Stephanie's skin feel extra silky, Saphirra helped Stephanie dry off, wrapping her in a fluffy robe and slippers. Once seated back in the chair in the dining area, Saphirra went about applying several different products to Stephanie's hair, and after a few more gentle strokes of the hairbrush, went about curling it.

After Stephanie's hair was curled, Saphirra unzipped her travel bag again, pulling out a makeup case, with various shades of eye shadows, lipsticks, blushes, brushes, etc., all inside, along with a black makeup bag. Stephanie usually didn't wear makeup outside a tad bit of eyeshadow and pale pink lipstick every now and again, but that was only when she was in the mood for it to be honest. Not protesting however, since this was all supposed to be part of Mark's surprise, Stephanie allowed Saphirra to apply the makeup to her face without resistance.

And it was a tedious process. Stephanie didn't even know that so much time and effort actually went into applying makeup.

Saphirra first applied several different creams, primers, foundations, concealers, blushes, and such to Stephanie's face, before going on to wax Stephanie's eyebrows. Applying the wax, Stephanie had a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach that Saphirra was going to take extra pleasure in ripping the hair right off of her face … and she was right.

Although Stephanie didn't yell out, she couldn't help but to wince, as it felt like her skin was still attached to the strips after she finished.

She then seemed to enjoy taking a set of tweezers and plucking extra harshly at the hairs the wax didn't get. After slyly extracting a small amount of revenge on Stephanie, Saphirra went about applying two different colors of eyeshadow to Stephanie's eyes, also using an eyeliner to the top and the corners, followed up with black mascara. Going on to her lips, now Saphirra applied the color Patisserie to them, finally finishing Stephanie's makeup.

For clothing, Saphirra picked out a sleeveless shimmery dark blue lurex top, of course, still without a bra, pairing it with a shiny black pair of leather pants, finishing with a black pair of leather platform boots.

Looking into the mirror at the finished product, Stephanie hardly recognized herself, which she guessed was the purpose of her new look.

Her hair had tons of loose curls all throughout, giving her a very sexy, just rolled out of bed look, her eyebrows were arched, her lips were a glossy nude pink color, the crease of her eyelids were silver, while the lids themselves were blue; her eyes seemed to pop from the black mascara, and the pink around her cheeks seemed to make her entire face glow.

Looking at her attire, the shirt fit Stephanie like a glove, the leather pants she wore weren't necessarily tight, but they were form fitting, and the heels only added to her height of five feet nine inches; the heel on her boots had to be at least four inches alone.

Did she like the new look? She didn't know. It was definitely … different. Of course she had to get used to it. She just hoped Mark didn't think that this was going to be an everyday thing. The curls, maybe, but the attire …

Saphirra then handed Steph two different egg blue colored boxes, with a white satin ribbon tied onto each, the printing on top displaying _Tiffany & Co._ Inside the box one was a set of small silver hoop earrings. In the box two were two platinum bangles with six heart locks surrounding each one of them.

While the earrings were dainty and light, the bangles felt heavy, and quite frankly, expensive. On the inside she noticed an inscription inside both bangles: _For Mrs. Calaway_.

Smiling to herself, Stephanie was almost moved to tears. She wasn't expecting a lot of expensive gifts from Mark, but he was seemingly trying to become a better husband. He wasn't the type to come out and directly show his emotions, but she did appreciate the fact the he was striving in truly making her feel like _his_ wife.

After clasping both bracelets closed and putting in her earrings, Stephanie looked at herself in the mirror once again, this time from different angles.

Turning side to side in the mirror, Stephanie determined that she still looked like herself, but she just wasn't giving off the innocent vibe anymore; she honestly looked like she was twenty two, but as if she was going out to a club or something. Girls in Greenwich usually didn't dress like this, unless they planned to go clubbing in New York City to impress some guy or something.

Afterwards, Saphirra came back in and told Stephanie that a car would be downstairs in five minutes to transport them to the San Diego Sports Arena, Stephanie, beyond nervous now.

For one, she didn't know how people were going to react to her new look. Of course, JR and King would definitely be surprised, along with her godfather Pat, and Jerry, and would undoubtedly blame Mark for Stephanie's new grown up look, but what would the other superstars and Divas think?

Of course there'd be whispers about her new appearance, but would they immediately figure out that she and Mark had sex?

After the car arrived downstairs, Stephanie balanced herself on her high heels, walking to the elevator, while Saphirra walked dreadfully in tow. Going through the lobby, Stephanie didn't think she quite fit the look of a prostitute, but she was definitely attracting stares from various individuals; she just couldn't tell if they were good or bad.

Once inside the car, the driver drove Stephanie and Saphirra the twelve minute drive across town to the arena. Apart from the fact that Saphirra seemed to be staring a black hole through her, Stephanie couldn't shake the feeling that doing this maybe wasn't the right idea.

She was pretty much sure that Vince was going to be at the show tonight, and maybe if she just explained to him that she had fallen in love with Mark …

_"Never mind. What am I thinking? If he doesn't try to kill Mark himself tonight, he'll soon disown me! Then what?" _

As the limo drove around to the back of the arena, Stephanie sighed and made it up in her mind to finally go through with what she and Mark had planned out and that was deceive everyone. It was simply too late to turn back now, and if she did, would she risk alienating affection of her husband?

After the car came to a stop, the chauffeur opened the door for both ladies, and immediately when she got out, she saw Farooq and Bradshaw waiting for them.

_"Does Mark not think I can't find my way around?"_

Farooq and Bradshaw, who were obviously shocked at Stephanie's new appearance, both looked at each other in almost disbelief. Again, Stephanie could not actually tell if their incredulous looks were one of good disbelief or a bad disbelief.

Bradshaw, however, forever the smartass, began to mock Stephanie loudly as they were walking through the arena.

"Well, if it isn't Mrs. Lord of Darkness! I knew all those noises from that bedroom would get you come around. If I didn't know any better, I'd say Godfather was missing part of his lineup."

Appalled that Bradshaw had been so flippant with her lately, and quite frankly tired of his blatant disrespect to her, Stephanie had a flashback.

She was back at home in Texas, still on chore duty, when Lexi, and her sporty Brooklyn mouth, asked Stephanie while she was still serving them, "So, where's Mark? I haven't seen him hang out with his new chew toy all day."

Bradshaw, drunk, still holding on to a piece of cigar, suddenly sat up off the couch on the patio and said nastily, "Oh, don't worry about that Lexi, Mark's being real taken care of. See, he's downstairs with some _real_ women," leaving his remark off with that signature howl of his.

And that did it for Stephanie!

Looking down at the ground, Stephanie turned around without any hesitation whatsoever, slapped Bradshaw as hard as she could, his hair flying in the wind from the impact alone! Stephanie slapped Bradshaw so hard an echo could be heard all the way down the hallway!

Turning his head from the slap, Farooq stood there a moment, mouth open, before letting out a very loud, "Damn!" Even Saphirra was shocked at how hard Stephanie had slapped Bradshaw!

Once Bradshaw turned his head back to Stephanie, he made a movement towards her, but Farooq stood in his way, however, Stephanie didn't back up not one inch.

"Hey man, hey man, easy, easy. Don't do nothing foolish now," Farooq warned, holding his best friend by his arms.

Bradshaw, with a fresh handprint on his face, steaming that Stephanie had slapped the taste right out of his mouth, held up a finger up to Stephanie's face, telling her, "You better be lucky Mark likes you, because if he didn't…"

Farooq, still holding Bradshaw, then told a wide eyed Saphirra, "Hey, take her to wherever she supposed to be while I try to cool this man down. Hurry up now!"

Grabbing Stephanie by the arm, Saphirra attempted to usher Steph to the Ministry's locker room, but Stephanie, tired of being pushed around, taken advantage, and made a fool out of, snatched her arm away from her, startling her all over again.

Once near the locker room area, Stephanie could feel the eyes of the several superstars, tech people, and stagehands all fall on her. She was so upset from having to slap Bradshaw, she honestly had forgotten how she was dressed.

For a moment, she thought that maybe everyone was staring at Saphirra, who was dressed in leather black corset, with skin tight leather purple jeans to match, but once she heard, "Is that Stephanie," she knew that for the rest of the night, she was going to be the talk of the locker room.

Walking to a door that said "Undertaker" on a name plate, Stephanie stormed into the room, startling the rest of the Ministry. Everyone seemed all dressed for the show tonight, and Taker, with his long hair in a ponytail at the top, and the rest of his now curly hair spread across his shoulders, looked at both Stephanie, then turned her head to Saphirra, who was still in shock herself, mouth agape, looking wide eyed at Stephanie.

Just when Taker was about to open his mouth to ask why Stephanie was so huff and puff, the door to the locker room burst open again, this time led by Bradshaw, then Farooq, and Bradshaw did not look happy.

Noticing that Bradshaw was sporting a very visible handprint across the right side of his face, Taker looked down at the floor and chuckled a bit, shaking his head.

Realizing what his wife must have done, for whatever reason she had done it, silently pleased Taker to know end, knowing that Stephanie was getting so worked up. She was finally showing her aggression, and it pleased him very much.

Lifting his head up from the floor now, Taker regarded the rest of his Ministry, speaking to them slowly.

"The show starts in five minutes. Let the chaos begin."


	37. Last Man Standing

As the Ministry all left their dressing room simultaneously, headed for the arena, Taker brought his huge hand around Stephanie's arm, pulling her back inside.

Taking in her new look, Taker, with his arms folded up, looking like an exact replica of Satan himself, gave his new bride an up and down inspection, as Stephanie breathed in and out with shaky breaths, clearly uneasy.

Taker's face was always so unreadable, so Stephanie really couldn't tell if Saphirra had done a good job making her over to Taker's satisfaction or not.

All she knew was it was showtime, and she was more nervous in this very instance than she had ever been before in her entire life, even more so when she was forcefully strapped onto that symbol. For that, she was an unwilling participant. For this, however, she was a very willing participant, and if people caught on to her act, then they'd hate her forever.

So many people felt bad for her because of the perceived situation she was in, but she was only putting on a front, and that, although Stephanie had agreed to move forward with the plan, made her very uncomfortable.

_"Why didn't I just say no?"_

Taking a finger and wrapping it around a lone curly tress, placing it over her shoulder, Taker looked down at Stephanie, who was slouching down on the door a bit, asking, "You ready?"

Stephanie, however, was barely audible when she said, "I think so."

Looking up at her husband, Stephanie knew what Mark could be when he was nice, sincere, and even compassionate, but that was at home. When he was at work, he was the Undertaker, and from his presence alone, he didn't seem like he gave a damn about anybody but himself, so she questioned herself again, _"Why did I agree to this?"_

With his all black wrestling attire, tied up hair, and the facial structure of fallen angel, Stephanie could understand why so many people were intimidated by him without him even opening up his mouth first. She had been with Mark for a week plus now, and she was still intimidated from just standing in front of a man whom she thought she was getting to know better …

… And Taker seemed to know that, as well.

Leaning into Stephanie's personal space more, Stephanie closed her eyes, her breathing uneven, her hands sweaty, her body trembling. She didn't know why, but Mark was scaring the crap out of her. It felt like last Monday all over again.

Stephanie, feeling Taker's hands on the side of her face, lips trembling with fear and anticipation, heard him tell her finally, "You better not slip up," before he grabbed her by the arm once again, dragging her back out the locker room.

* * *

><p>As the pyro lit up the arena, sending tons of sparks up into the ceiling, dazzling and pumping the crowd for another big time show, an excited Michael Cole on commentary greeted the fans watching at home.<p>

"Hello, everybody and welcome to another edition of Raw is War! I'm Michael Cole, alongside me my broadcast partner, Jerry "the King" Lawler! We are live from the sold out San Diego Sports Arena, from San Diego, CA, and King, what a night's it's gonna be!"

"Oh, you've got that right, Michael Cole, and finally, _maybe_, we can get some answers or an update into the condition of Vince and Shane McMahon!" King exclaimed frantically.

"Not only do we hope to get an update on both Shane and Vince here tonight, but we've got hot tag team action! Corporation members, Triple H and Big Boss Man meet Ministry members, the Acolytes, Farooq and Bradshaw, the winners to face the WWF Tag Team Champions, Kane and X-Pac, next week right here on Raw!" Cole told the crowd at home.

"And speaking of the tag team champions, they're going to be split up here tonight, because the Big Show, Paul Wight, and the Seven Foot Monster, Kane, well, they're going be teaming up in a handicap match, against all people, X-Pac! What's up the deal with that, Michael Cole?" King asked notedly.

"I don't exactly know about that, but I do know that in a Hardcore Match tonight, Ken Shamrock, the "World's Most Dangerous Man", will take on Mankind! And King, you ready for this? The WWF Women's Champion, Sable, is going to be putting her Women's Championship on the line here tonight against Debra in an Evening Gown Match!"

"I think I might just die and go to Puppies Heaven, Michael Cole, woo hoo!" the very excited King screamed over the headphones.

"And Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Undertaker has promised us here tonight that the Rattlesnake, the WWF Champion, will be in live in action, King. The new majority owner of the WWF, he's in a foul, foul mood."

As the last word was spoken from Cole, a light gong filled the arena, the lights in the arena went dim, a demonic chant was heard, and Taker's music loudly played throughout, as Taker, flanked to his left by Paul Bearer, who was being escorted behind by Saphirra and Stephanie McMahon, who looked sick to her stomach.

The thought of both Saphirra and Bradshaw getting under skin, coupled with the fact that she was actually going to go through with this plan that Mark had concocted, was taking a toll on her, and it definitely showed in her outer appearance. Although she was supposed to look worried and fearful, which she actually was, because it was part of her act, Steph was very a nervous wreck.

She was frightened to death of her father seeing her like this, she didn't know how people would react to her new look, she was afraid of people calling her out because of her relationship with Mark, despite the fact they he was supposed to be this overbearing and abusive monster, and she didn't quite sure know what exactly Mark had in store for the show tonight, since this was his first official Raw as the new principle owner of the company.

What if her father objected to her divorcing Mark and wanted to settle for an annulment right away? What if he tried to physically assault Mark? Even though Vince was a tough competitor himself, Steph new that her father wasn't in any shape to be taking on Mark, who was a 328-pound wrecking machine, in his frame of mind, wouldn't be a wise decision at all.

Mind riddled with troubling thoughts, Steph, as the rest of the Ministry climbed into the ring, absently came through the bottom rope, as well, as Taker, rolling his eyes into the back of his raised the lights. Stephanie, feeling now would be the perfect time to start putting on the show, stood in the middle of the ring, jerking her arm away from Saphirra, folded her arms up, poked out her lips, and began looking very peeved off.

"My, God, would you look at this, King? Look at how that demonic Undertaker has poor Stephanie McMahon dressed!"

"Is that Stephanie? She looks, she looks like a completely different person, Michael," King said whispering over the announcements.

"That's Stephanie McMahon," Cole confirmed.

As Paul Bearer reached outside the ring for a microphone, putting the instrument up to the Phenom's mouth, the camera panned all over Stephanie's body, with Cole noting on commentary, "Look at the fright on Stephanie McMahon's face."

As soon as Taker was about to speak, the crowd in San Diego began chanting loudly for Austin, forcing Taker to look around the arena in disgust.

"Listen to these chants for the Rattlesnake!" Cole promoted.

"Austin…" and as Taker was speaking, the crowd began to chant for their WWF Champion even louder. Looking around a bit before continuing, Taker continued, "After tonight, no longer will you be the World Wresting Federation Champion."

With the crowd booing now, Stephanie gazed over at Paul Bearer, who was silently nodding and smiling, while Edge was squatting in his black trench coat, while the rest of the Ministry stood ominously around Taker, with Ryan was smiling psychotically next to Stephanie.

"You see Austin, you stuck your nose in business, where it didn't belong, and now you must pay for the consequences of your actions. First, you almost ruined…", then Saphirra, fiendishly, push Stephanie in the back towards Taker, with him grabbing her by the wrist, yanking her forward, forcing her to concentrate on her movements with those high heeled boots on, "…You almost ruined a very special ceremony, but let's just say you didn't have the pair to get the job done."

"Whoa," King exclaimed on commentary.

"On top of that, Austin," Taker continued. "You had the nerve to not only assault Saphirra last Thursday on Smackdown!" which drew heavy cheers from the crowd, as Saphirra looked around at the crowd in San Diego in clear disgust, not understanding how people could cheer for Austin, especially after he delivered a Stone Cold Stunner to a woman.

Rubbing under jawline slowly, Taker then said, "… you also had the audacity to put your hands on _my_ wife."

Stephanie then looked up at her husband flabbergasted, honestly clueless as to why Taker was blaming Austin for she hugging _him_, while Cole said on commentary added, "Well, wait a minute. Stephanie's the one who ran down to hugged Austin."

Still holding Stephanie tightly around her wrist, Taker warned, "Don't you realize boy that you never put your hands on another man's wife?"

As the crowd continued to gasp, King noted on commentary, "Wow. The Undertaker just called Austin, 'Boy!'"

"Now with that being said Austin, last week, you wanted to play the role of the spoiler. That was your decision. But tonight Austin, I'm going to play several roles: judge, jury, executioner, and coroner."

"Wow," exclaimed King.

"Tonight Austin, it all ends, and I promise you, somebody won't be walking out of this building, and that somebody is gonna to be you."

As Stephanie continued to strain against the death grip Taker had around her wrist, the bangles that he purchased her sinking into her skin, cutting off circulation and turning her wrists red, Taker looked right into the camera, the crowd booing lightly, with Paul Bearer smiling on and said, "Tonight, it finally ends here. Tonight Austin, for the World Wrestling Federation Title, you, me, a Last Man Standing Match."

"WHAT!?" shouted both King and JR over commentary, while Cole went on to say, "A Last Man Standing Match with Austin and the Undertaker, right here tonight, King!"

As the crowd continued to scream loudly at the match being announced, Taker, with Stephanie still squirming against his grasp said, "And Austin…"

But before he could finish the rest of his statement, the sound of glass breaking filled the arena, as the World Wrestling Federation Champion, Stone Cold Steve Austin, burst through the curtains, making his way onto the stage, as the crowd in San Diego went absolutely bananas!

As Taker and his Ministry all stood in the middle of the ring, Paul cursing Austin visibly for interrupting the Lord of Darkness, Stephanie got sick to the stomach.

Although she was married to Mark now, she had absolutely nothing against Steve Austin. In fact, even though her father and Steve had been at each other's throats for the past two years, she had always liked and respected Austin, and she figured that the feeling was somewhat mutual, since Austin was only one of three people who attempted to help her before Mark forced her to marry him.

Austin, with the stick in one hand, the WWF Title hanging from another, however, wasn't in the mood for much talking, addressing Taker only briefing.

"Undertaker, you come out here, running your little measly mouth, doing a lot of talk about old Stone Cold, and I'm not a real sentimental guy, but to show you just how I feel about you, I just want you to know, from the bottom of my heart …" and then with his free hand, he sent the finger straight to Taker's way, who did not look phased by the dirty finger gesture.

Paul, however, was very upset, looking around at the crowd in San Diego with complete revulsion, who continued to show their extreme loyalty for the Rattlesnake.

"As far as this Last Man Standing Match is concerned, hell, I don't see why we have to wait until later on tonight, how about we do this, right here, right now!" Austin proposed, the crowd going absolutely bonkers at the notion of Taker and Austin getting it on, right then, right there.

"Wait a minute, King, he's coming down here! The ring is surrounded by the Ministry!" Cole noted frantically.

"Austin, you may be a tough SOB, but do you also have a death wish?" King asked wildly on commentary. Austin was beyond a doubt shoe leather tough, but with every last member of the Ministry up in the ring, the odds of him surviving in a supposed one on one fight were slim to none.

As Austin got closer to the ring, Taker looked around the ring, and whispered something in Paul's ear. Suddenly, Paul began instructing the rest of the Ministry exit, the crowd screaming loudly, knowing they were about to see a honest to goodness slugfest! As the Ministry began exiting the ring, Austin began walking up the steel steps, talking smack along the way.

"They're about to go here King, they're about to go!"

As soon as the last Ministry member exited the ring, Austin, ready for a fight, made a beeline towards Taker, but instead of striking, Austin had to stop mid-stride, as Taker, who still had a hold on Stephanie's arm, pulled her directly in front of him, blocking Austin's attack!

Stephanie, eyes wide with fear, afraid that Austin was going to strike her just to get at Taker, looked like a deer in headlights! Staring into the raging blue eyes of Austin, Stephanie, shaking with paralyzing fear, didn't have much time to think about anything else, before Taker pushed her to the left and began attacking Austin, while Stephanie struggled to get out of the ring from the ensuing chaos.

Striking Austin with blow after blow, fist after fist, bullying him into the turnbuckle, then choking Austin with his foot, the crowd began to cheer loudly, "Austin! Austin! Austin! Austin!"

Taker, however, undeterred by the unanimous crowd support of Austin, continued to stomp Austin deeper into the turnbuckle, resorting to even choking him with his hands, as Austin kicked and squirmed effortlessly, Taker easily cutting off his oxygen supply!

Saphirra, then running over to the announcer's table, wanting to get some revenge on Austin for his Stunner to her on Smackdown, forced Tony Chimel out of his seat, sliding the chair into the ring. Walking over to the steel chair, Taker bent down to pick it up, but with a surge of adrenaline, as soon as Taker was vertical again, Austin, the brawler that he was, attacked Taker from the side, giving him piston like rights to the side of the head, causing the crowd in San Diego to resurge with "Austin" chants, as Taker dropped the chair in the middle of the ring from Austin's assault!

Austin, then whipping Taker into the ropes, was about to go for his signature Lou Thesz press, but he tripped under the bottom rope by Gangrel!

Once Austin realized who it was who tripped him, Austin reached over the top rope, grabbing Gangrel by the hair, pulled him up on the apron, gave him two big birds, and knocked him back down to the outside!

Trying to sneak up behind Austin, Taker grabbed Austin around by his shoulder, but Austin, seemingly with eyes in the back of his head, began striking Taker once again, and with a kick to the gut, was about to give Taker another Stone Cold Stunner, but at that very moment, the entire Ministry swarmed the ring, and although Austin was fueled off pure hatred alone, managing to fight off Mideon, and then Edge, the seven-on-one gang assault just became too much for him.

As the crowd watched on in horror as Austin received boot after boot to the back of the head and neck, Taker, picking up the chair again, ordered for the Ministry to pick Austin back up to his feet. Once Austin was upright again, Farooq and Bradshaw whipped Austin in to Taker, who blasted him in the skull with the steel chair!

"Oh, my God! You could hear the thud of Austin's head coming off the chair shot!" Cole screamed over the broadcast booth.

"Sounded like a car wreck!"

While Saphirra looked on evilly, wanting Austin to feel the same pain that she felt last Tuesday night, Stephanie watched on in horror. She couldn't believe that Mark had put her in the way of danger! While they did have a pre-promo talk before they all came down to the ring, Steph again agreeing she was going to play up the role of the poor victimized wife, him using her as a shield was not part of the plan, and if Austin didn't have the reflexes of a seasoned veteran, she'd be out cold right about now!

Then, Taker, absolutely snapping, grabbed the chair again, and started pounding Austin over the back with it, over and over again, the chair contorting from shot after shot, blow after blow!

Stephanie, mouth wide from the scene she was witnesses, screamed on the side of the ring for Taker to stop, but Taker wasn't through! Turning Austin on his back, who was also busted at this point, Taker straddled him and began pounding him over and over again with big right hands to the head, opening him up even more, before going on to choke him, with not even one member of the Ministry daring to stop him!

Completely unconscious now, Taker then stood over Austin, as the crowd roared with boos, and as Taker and the rest of the Ministry exited the ring, Taker gave Austin one more kick to the head, finally leaving, as officials, agents, and referees stormed inside, in an attempt to help the Rattlesnake. Stephanie, who was leaning on the ring ropes, honestly concerned for Austin well-being, was screamed at by Taker.

"Get here, now!"

Looking back at the fallen Austin, Stephanie walked over to her husband slowly, as the staff continued to attend to Austin, trying to help him off the canvas. As Taker grabbed Stephanie by the wrist again, pulling her backwards with him up the ramp, Taker looked down at the beaten Rattlesnake, with nothing but vengeance in his eyes.

As the Ministry were making their way backstage, the officials still trying to help Austin up, up on the Titantron, a black limousine was seen pulling into the back of the arena.

"It's Vince, it's Vince! Vince has come back to save the day!" King screamed loudly, while Cole attempted to surmise just who was in the car. "Who is it? Who's in the limo!"

"Please let it be it Vince!"


	38. Taker's Night of Horror

As the Ministry all headed back into their locker room, quite proud of themselves for taking out Austin before the big Last Man Standing match later on in the night, Taker, literally dragging Stephanie behind him, made a detour, and instead of going back to his dressing room, he took Stephanie into the office that would usually be reserved for Vince instead, which was outfitted with comfortable leather couches, a fruit platter, plenty of bottled water, and even champagne on ice, however, Taker wasn't in the mood for any kind of romance.

Pulling Stephanie inside the room, Taker shoved Stephanie down onto one of the couches, absolutely frightening her! She could tell Mark was angry, and angry at her, but she had absolutely no idea why; she had done everything he had asked her to do!

Looking up at him from the couch, her eyes telling a story of fear and trepidation, Taker, putting his finger right into Stephanie's face, told her menacingly, "You've got some fucking nerve, woman."

Looking around for maybe a hidden camera, believing that she might be getting pranked, Stephanie couldn't believe that Mark was mad at her!

"Mark, I didn't do …"

Descending on her before she could even get the rest of her statement out, pinning her down to the couch with three hundred and twenty eight pounds of nothing but pure muscle, causing Stephanie to hyperventilate, Taker spoke to her dark and deeply.

"You wanna explain to me why you were looking at Austin like you wanted to help him a few minutes ago? And Stephanie, I want an answer."

Scrambling for the correct words to say, because in no way was she ever expecting this to happen, Stephanie, knowing how psychotic Mark could be when he was angry, said fearfully, "Baby, I just didn't know what was going on! I didn't know all that was going to happen! I've never had anything against Austin! I was just shocked, I didn't mean anything by it, please, I'm being honest…"

"So you care about Austin, is that it?" Taker chastised.

Confused as to why Mark was interrogating her like this, his paranoia beginning to sweat out of his pores, Stephanie continued to answer honestly. Maybe she could talk some sense into him and calm him down, because this wasn't the person she thought she had become to know.

"Baby, I promise you, I just didn't know what was going to happen, that's all, really, I promise! Please, I was just afraid you were going to hurt him with your temper, I didn't mean to …"

Pulling himself off of her, swatting his hair out his face, the eyes of a deranged soul staring back at her, Taker said, "You are not to move your ass out this room, not even off this couch. If you even so much take a peep outside," Taker threatened, rubbing his hand together, pulling down his black gloves. "You'll be sorry."

And with that, Taker left out the room, but not before completely obliterating Stephanie's self-worth!

She didn't even know what she had done to piss him off so badly, when it was her who should have been upset, not the other way around! Putting her hands in her face, drawing her legs up on the couch, Stephanie balled her eyes out. Her husband was mad with her, and she didn't know why!

* * *

><p>As a replay of the recent events that has just unfolded played out on the Titantron, JR, who had replaced Michael Cole, and King began recapping Taker's encounter with Austin.<p>

"Ladies and gentlemen if you're just joining us," JR welcomed back. "The Undertaker, as revealed last week as the new principal owner of the WWF, challenged Stone Cold Steve Austin to a Last Man Standing Match here tonight, King. Austin accepted, but watch what happens as Austin challenged the Phenom to a fight right then and there."

"Yeah, the Ministry cleared out the ring, we thought we were going to see a fight between the Phenom and the Rattlesnake, and we did, but the Undertaker used Stephanie McMahon as a shield! Now that was nothing short of cowardly!"

"I don't know what has come over the Undertaker as of recent weeks, but as you can see, as Austin was battling back from the Undertaker's assault, the Ministry began that seven on one gang-like attack, and King, listen, listen to the sound of Austin's head coming off that steel chair!"

"Yeah, watch this." And as Austin's head replayed bouncing off the chair, JR informed everyone, "And after the Ministry's assault to Austin, Austin was being helped to the back, bleeding profusely from the head, King, he was refused the help of our officials!"

"Right," King seconded. "Austin was out on his feet, struggling to even get back the ramp there, but the one good thing, JR, we saw that black limousine pull up to the arena, and with all that's going wrong already here tonight, that's just gotta be Vince! Vince, the Undertaker still has Stephanie!"

"We don't yet know the condition of Austin right now, and we also still don't know the condition of Vince and Shane McMahon."

As King shook his head visibly, JR recounted how Vince was attacked by the Ministry, right before Shane's street fight on Smackdown! against the Rock, subsequently getting Rock Bottom through the announce table, and afterwards, taken out of the arena on a stretcher, and transported to a local medical facility. "Hopefully, we'll get some sort of update as to the condition of Vince and Shane here tonight, King."

"Well, let me just this, JR. The Undertaker has singlehandedly taken out the entire McMahon family. First, he forcefully married the lovely Stephanie McMahon, and we all know how I personally feel about that, he stole the WWF from right under Vince's nose, and now he's personally taken out Vince, Shane, and Austin! I mean, who knows what next he's capable of."

* * *

><p>The first match of the night consisted of the Stooges, Pat Paterson and Jerry Briscoe, slapping knots on Pete Gas and Rodney, also two members of the Corporation. After their match, with Pat and Jerry declared the winners, backstage, the Big Show, doing an interview with Kevin Kelly, was fired up, but not for the obvious reasons.<p>

"Big Show, in an unusual match making form here tonight, you're going to be teaming up with someone equally as big as yourself, and that's the Big Red Machine, Kane, taking on his good buddy, and tag team partner, X-Pac."

Big Show, squeezing his Honey Baked sized ham fist together, let it be known that he wasn't particularly happy about Taker's match making.

"You know, Kevin Kelly, I really could give a damn about this match here tonight. Nothing against Kane, but he's not the seven foot monster I had in mind tonight. You see, I'm looking for retribution. I still haven't forgotten how the tattooed Deadman hit me across the head with that baseball bat last Monday night. Well, tonight, Deadman, if everything down there on you isn't dead, I'm issuing an open challenge. If you're the man you claim you are, after I get through with X-Pac, why don't you step up to the big time? Tonight, me and you, one on one, and let's make this Show Time!"

* * *

><p>The purpose of tonight's matches were simple: make every superstar within the WWF turn on each other. Taker wanted pure destruction and utter chaos, and he'd start within his own family.<p>

Since Taker had deemed Kane a weakling months prior, not being able to understand nor comprehend the pure evil that he soon wanted to implode the WWF, and since Kane apparently had grown a heart, Taker would rip it out, by forcing him to fight his good friend and tag team partner, X-Pac, in a handicap match.

First up, the Big Show's music was piped through the arena, and the seven foot tall, five hundred pound giant, walked to the ring with a purpose, stepping over the top rope, and rising his hand in the air, giving the crowd a show. After walking around the ring for a moment, performing calisthenics, Show anxiously awaited his tag team partner.

Suddenly, the lights to the arena went dark, an eery organ began to play, tons of fire went into the air, and the Big Red Machine's, Kane, with tag team gold in hand, made his way down to the ring. Stepping over the top ring rope himself, raising his arms, and bringing them back down with a vengeance, a blast of pyro from all four turnbuckles flew into the sky, and then X-Pac's entrance music hit, as well. The brash young stud was ready for competition, and although he clearly wasn't going to back down from a challenge, jumping into the ring and performing his schtick of making a green "X" appear from the pyro, Kane was.

As the referee called for the bell, Kane, looking back down at his friend, who was rocking back and forth on his feet from anticipation, placed his hands on his hips, lowered, then shook his head, with X-Pac clearly trying to egg him on.

Truth of the matter was, Kane really did think of X-Pac as not only his good friend, but his _best_ friend, his only friend as a matter of fact, and after all what they had been through to get to that point, he wasn't going to fight him. Shaking his head again, with X-Pac holding out his hands, asking Kane what the problem was, Kane stepped over the top rope again, looked back at X-Pac, and walked back up the ramp way, heading for the back.

Big Show, sensing there wasn't going to be a fight, either, waved X-Pac off with his hand, but as soon as the seven footer stepped one leg back over the top rope, X-Pac, still wanting a fight, not letting his smaller stature compared to the other giants hold him back, delivered a spinning heel kick to the side of the Big Show's head!

Although the kick rocked the Big Show momentarily, Show stepped back over the top rope and back into the ring. X-Pac tried to deliver another spinning heel kick to him, but an irate Big Show grabbed X-Pac around the throat instead, picking him up easily with one arm, chokeslamming him headfirst onto the mat!

That's when Kane, who witnessed his best friend get assaulted by Show, ran back down to the ring, and got into a huge fist fight with the fellow giant, each man delivering blow after blow to each other, before Kane starting getting the better of the bigger man! After a few clubbing blows, the Big Show attempted to retaliate by whipping Kane into the ropes, but Kane ducked underneath Show's massive clothesline, and delivered a huge boot to the face, knocking the Show flat to the mat!

With the Big Show down, Kane began wailing on the Big Show for a few moments, until he had him momentarily immobilized. Walking over to the fallen X-Pac, Kane swooped up his fallen friend's body, placed him over his shoulder, and walked back up the ramp with him. The Big Show, getting to his feet now, furious that Kane had attacked him, roared with anger, shaking and kicking the ropes, but for the third time that night, the lights in the arena went out completely. After about five seconds of total darkness, both King and JR speculating why the arena had went dark, their questions were answered, because when the lights came back up, who should be standing behind the Big Show other than the Undertaker, baseball bat in hand!

Just as soon as the Big Show turned around, Taker leveled him with the bat, just as he did the week prior, but unlike then, the baseball cracked over Show's cranium as soon as it made impact, knocking him completely unconscious! Bleeding from the head, Taker stomped away at the Big Show, who was now lying motionless on the canvas, as JR screamed on commentary.

"For God's sake! The Big Show's been busted open! The Undertaker is just relentless! The evilness of the Undertaker!"

King, offering further insight into the situation, speculated that, "Well, obviously, the Undertaker is doing all this because the Big Show called him out! This must be revenge for Big Show almost rescuing Stephanie McMahon last week too, JR!"

Taker then mounted the Big Show, punching him over and over again in the open gash across his skull, clearly not admonishing to the referees call for Taker to stop. Instead, Taker only got angrier, and began seemingly choking the life out of the Big Show, screaming at his defenseless body, "This, this is my show! This is my show!"

Show, completely unable to defend himself, was pounded in the head a few more times by Taker's big right hands.

"The Undertaker's telling the Big Show that this is the Undertaker's show!" King repeated.

"The Big Show unconscious from that vile blow to the head from that baseball bat! He's been busted open here!" As Taker continued to stomp away at the Big Shows' head, JR remarked, "And the Undertaker continues to stomp away at a helpless human being."

As Taker tired of beating away at the giant, departing the ring to heavy boos, picking up the broken end of the baseball bat and taking it back up the ramp with him, his music followed him.

"Well, JR, we wondered how far the Undertaker would go, and we're seeing it. For the second week in a row, the Undertaker has left the Big Show lying motionless from that ball bat. He was willing to do anything, use anything, to take out the Big Show, and he did."

"The Undertaker who has prophesied that he will be the next WWF Champion live here tonight in San Diego, but the big story is here, it is now, the Big Show has completely been obliterated at the hands of the Phenom with a baseball bat, for God's sake!"

"Wow! Did you ever think you'll see, seven foot, four inches, five hundreds pounds of the Big Show lying flat on his back at the hands of the Undertaker?"

And as the referee tried to help up the motionless Big Show back in the ring, Taker brought the bat up to his neck, rolling his eyes into the back of his head, exiting the stage.

As the ref continued to help the Big Show back up, up on the Titantron again, the black limousine was once again shown, but only this time, the chauffeur was exiting out of the driver door now, walking to the back of the limo. As King shouted, "Who is it? Who is it? Is it Vince?" over the announcements, the door opened and a set of female feet found themselves planted on the concrete. When the camera panned up, the crowd in the arena began to cheer, as it was no one other than _Linda_ McMahon!

"King, it's _Mrs_. McMahon! It's Vince's wife, Linda!"

"Wha — what she's doing here?" King asked, carried away with emotion.

"I don't know! I don't know!"

* * *

><p>"Ladies and gentlemen, just a few moments ago, the Big Show and Kane were scheduled to face X-Pac in a handicap match, but Kane refused to fight X-Pac, his tag team partner, but X-Pac was looking for a fight, King."<p>

"Yeah, and if brains were chocolate, X-Pac wouldn't have enough to fill an M & M, because he gave a spinning heel kick to the Big Show! And look, that's all what he got for his trouble," with a replay of the Big Show planting X-Pac on the canvas played out, JR said, "Yeah, and after Kane dropped Big Show in retaliation, the Undertaker, who had just been challenged by the Big Show prior to the match, appeared out of nowhere, King, leveling him with that baseball bat!"

"Leveled? That was a grand slam. Just listen, listen to the sound of that ball bat being cracked over the Big Show's head." With the replay of that showing, as well, JR finished, "And now, now, we've got Linda McMahon, Vince's wife, here in the arena!"

"I'm telling you, there's so much chaos going all around us, the 82nd Airborne probably couldn't help."

King was then suddenly cut off by the sight of Linda appearing on the Titantron once again, walking through the backstage area, asking a stagehand, "Excuse me. Could you please point me in the direction of Stephanie McMahon?"

The stagehand, pointing Linda in the right direction, told her nicely, "Her office is right down this hallway, first door to your left, ma'am."

As Linda thanked the gentleman and began walking down the hallway, back in the arena, the crowd began to boo again, as Paul Bearer, with his signature evil scowl wrapped all across his face, looking around at the crowd, as a referee ran past him and stood inside the ring, walked down the ramp without the accompaniment of entrance music.

"Well, here comes Paul Bearer, King, and it looks like he's coming out here by himself. What's the deal with this now?"

"Yeah, what does he want? Hey, there ain't no buffett out here," King mocked on commentary.

As Paul made his pudgy way into the ring, he asked for a microphone, and once he got it, stood in the middle of the ring, smiling wildly. "And there's a referee in the ring," noted JR, before going on to ask, "What the hell is all this about?"

"Well, well, well…" Paul started off familiarly, the crowd is San Diego jeering loudly.

"Well, I guess the idiots here in San Diego …" letting his insult sink in, while still smiling around to the crowd, continued saying, "…have learned that all of the things that my Undertaker has said, all of the things the Lord of Darkness has prophesied about, marrying his wife and servant, Stephanie McMahon, taking over the World Wrestling Federation, have come true!"

Earning even more boos from the crowd, Paul, walking around smugly, told the crowd, "That's ok. Because when the fat man speaks, you listen!"

The boos at a fever pitch now, Paul then directed his attention to Austin.

"Stone Cold Steve Austin," Paul called out, as the mere mention of his name rocking the crowd in the arena. "Tonight, you will also find out another one of the Lord of Darkness prophecies will come true, and that is, you will NOT walk out of this building here tonight, you will NOT walk out the World Federation Champion."

The boos boiling over now, Paul looked into the camera and said, "And somebody else that won't be walking out of this arena tonight," Paul started, looking all around the arena in disdain. Suddenly snapping his attention towards the announcer's booth, Paul pointed and exclaimed "Jerry "the King" Lawler!"

As the camera panned to King, who looked utterly confused, Paul said still pointing, "You have become nothing more than the proverbial puppet for Vince McMahon, and I want you to know that my Lord of Darkness has heard every word! Now, Lawler, now is the time to pay your dues! Get your butt into this ring, son, and get it into this ring, right now!"

As JR and King looked at each other perplexingly, with King getting up from his broadcast seat, and going into the ring, Paul stuck his finger back to the announcer's booth, issuing a warning to JR exclusively.

"And JR, let what is about to happen be a lesson to you, as well, because if your tongue ever gets carried away from you too, you're going to suffer the same fate!"

JR, holding his hands up, mumbling that he had only come back to the job and didn't know what was going on, looked back up at the ring, who had his own microphone now, regarded the still smiling Paul Bearer.

"Well, Mr. Lawler, before you meet your maker, what do you have to say for yourself?"

King, looking around at the crowd in the arena, told Paul nicely, "Paul, I honestly have no Earthly idea as to what you're talking about."

Paul, taking a stride around Lawler, said, "Oh, but I think you do, son. How many weeks now, how many weeks, have you sat upon your thrown at the announce table, and wished ill against my Undertaker? How many weeks have you sat there, with biased tongue, and filtered ill comments for and through Vince McMahon against my Undertaker? If I may recall, you even said that the Lord of Darkness was "living his gimmick", taking things too far between he and his now un-beloved wife, Stephanie. Is that not true, Jerry Lawler?"

"Oh, so this is what all this is about" JR surmised.

Lawler, who looked absolutely shocked that he was being called out, told Paul in a respectable tone, "Paul, you have to understand that I've known Stephanie McMahon for a very long time now, and all I am is just generally concerned about her well-being."

Paul, who still hadn't stopped smiling, put his microphone back up to his mouth and before Jerry knew what was coming, Paul slapped Jerry right in the face, his crown flying across the ring!

Holding his face and looking back up, Paul, who wasn't smiling anymore, his face contorted once again in that signature snarl, told Lawler, "Well, I hope you're concerned about your general health as much as you were Stephanie's, because you've got a match son, and you've got one, right now!"

"A match? King just got the taste slapped out of his mouth! Who's he got a match with?"

As soon as the question escaped JR's lips, the music of the 500 pound Viscera began to play throughout the arena, and the big man looked to be on a mission. As Paul Bearer exited the ring, instructing Viscera into in with Jerry,, before Viscera could even get in the ring properly, Lawler attacked him, and with the referee ringing the bell, the match was on!

Knowing that his life and livelihood was on the line, the crowd began chanting for Jerry loudly, with King striking Viscera in the back over and over again with big ax handle forearms.

Attempting to whip Viscera into the ropes, Viscera, who didn't even budge, literally slung Jerry back into his direction, delivering "the King" a clothesline that sent Jerry flying into the mat!

Going into the ropes himself now, Viscera jumped into the air and came right down into the sternum of Lawler with a Big Splash, crushing him underneath all 500 hundred pounds of him. But Viscera didn't immediately go for the pin. Paul Bearer, up on the ring apron now, then instructed Viscera to pick Jerry's prone body back up once agin, instructing him to deliver yet another Big Splash to Lawler. With Jerry flat on his back now, the crowd dead after the hit on Jerry, the referee counted 1,2,3, easily declaring Viscera the winner.

Once again re-entering the ring, Paul, standing over a semi-conscious King, talked trash to the announcer, warning him to never against Taker nor the Ministry again.

As the replay played back on the Titantron, JR, in complete shock that the Undertaker had ordered the King into a match with Viscera, said over his headphones, as Viscera and Paul walked back up the ramp, "Who's going to stop this? Who's going to stop the Undertaker and his evil campaign of terror here tonight?"

Suddenly, Linda McMahon appeared on the Titantron yet again, knocking on an unmarked door, as Raw went to another commercial break.


	39. Cracks in the Corporation

"And we're back live here ladies and gentlemen, and if you're just now joining us, you've missed a heck of a lot. First, at the top of the broadcast, the Undertaker assaulted both Stone Cold Steve Austin, with a steel chair, and the Big Show, with a ball bat of all things, in separate instances, and just before we went to commercial break here, Jerry "the King" Lawler, became the most recent victim of the Undertaker here tonight, after several of the King's comments, which were nothing but the truth, landed him in a match against Viscera!

And as you can see here folks, the King had to be helped to the uh, the backstage area, with the help of our officials. We certainly hope to have word about his condition before the end of tonight's broadcast, but in any event, we do have Kevin Kelly live with us now, here to give us an update on the Texas Rattlesnake. Kevin…"

"Thanks, JR. Well, all I can tell you right now that there are several doctors and other specialists inside Stone Cold Steve Austin's dressing room right now, tending to Austin as we speak, watching and monitoring him closely, but, I did receive word that Stone Cold has suffered a mild concussion at the hands of the Undertaker here tonight. Right now, Austin _is_ still scheduled to compete later here tonight, but JR, from the looks of things, those plans might change, as well."

"Alright, thanks, Kevin Kelly. As you heard Kevin mention, the Undertaker and Austin are still scheduled to compete here tonight for the WWF Championship in a Last Man Standing Match, but I'm telling you, Austin may have to phone this one in. If he can't even make it to the oop.."

JR couldn't finish his sentence properly because showing on the Titantron again was Linda McMahon, knocking on the door to what appeared to be Stephanie's office.

Linda, after knocking several times and not receiving an answer, then decided to open the door herself, but what she found was her own daughter, Stephanie, balled up on the couch, crying her eyes out! Stephanie, lifting her head up, realizing that her mother had rushed to her side now, grabbing her by her arms, as her mascara dripped down her face, suddenly became frightened for her own mother's safety!

"Oh, my God," JR said lowly over the announcements.

Taker had warned Stephanie to not to leave the office, and while she hadn't, she was pretty sure she wasn't allowed to have visitors, either, let alone from her own mother, whom she didn't even know was in the building, since Taker had refused, for a second week in a row, to allow a television monitor into the office.

"Stephanie, Stephanie, my God, what has he done to you? Are you alright? Are you ok? Speak to me honey. Why are you crying like this?"

Knowing her mother was worried sick about her, Stephanie wanted desperately to tell her everything that was going on, about her plan with Mark, how, despite the way that he had treated her tonight, that she was madly in love with him, about how she was planning to move to Texas with him, but Steph realized that if she told Linda all those things, there'd be definite repercussions!

Mark would kill her, and she'd also be putting her family directly in danger, as well. She had already seen with her very own eyes what Mark had done to Stone Cold Steve Austin earlier. If he could do that to him, along with brainwashing the entire Ministry, she could only imagine what he would do to her own parents and brother!

Although Stephanie knew it was wrong, she simply hung her head and shook it silently, saying nothing. Linda, confused and hurt at seeing her daughter in this sot of state, begged Stephanie further.

"Please, Stephanie, please tell me. What has Mark done to you? You're shaking, you're cold, you're crying, let's get you home, come on."

Shaking her head violently, Stephanie finally said through trembling voice, "No, mom. I can't … I can't go back. Please, understand…"

"Why, Stephanie? I don't understand. Please tell me, why. Has he put his hands on you?"

As the crowd gasped, awaiting an answer, JR added on headset, "I should hope not."

Steph, shaking her head again, didn't know what exactly to say to her mother. All she knew was if she didn't get Linda out of there before one of the Ministry members, or Mark himself, walked in on them, both of them would be in more trouble that Stephanie could ever imagine.

"Mom, please, you have to get out here. He's lost it tonight. He's not all there tonight. You're not safe here. Please, go with Dad or Shane…"

Linda stopping Stephanie, only having eyes for her daughters, not caring about Stephanie's warning about Taker, grabbed Steph by both hands, telling her, "But your father and Shane aren't here tonight. They're at home in Greenwich. I came here to check up on you myself. Stephanie, you haven't called, we don't know where you've been, we're all worried sick about you, we don't know what Mark has done to you, you're look like a completely changed woman, your hair is different, your attire is different. Stephanie, please, I'm begging you, as your mother, please, come home."

Stephanie, shaking her head again, rising from the couch, standing in front of her mother now, trying desperately to get Linda out of there as quickly as possible, said again through teary eyes, "No, mom, please, I can't. Please, mom, if they find you here…"

Right as Stephanie was continuing to warn her mother, Saphirra, who was now Stephanie's appointed babysitter, walked into the room, this time, with a small smirk on her face.

Both Linda and Stephanie, who were shocked by Saphirra's emergence, simply stared on, as Saphirra, hands on her hips, the heels on her thigh high boots clicking beneath her, walked with a stride that evoked nothing but confidence.

Feeling that Stephanie was once again betraying Taker, and the trouble she would surely get in, with her being the one to have actually caught her in the act, Saphirra let out, "Well, well, well, Stephanie, you've struck again. I guess Master can now see what a true _bitch_ you really are. Humph. From Tori the Skank to Linda the Old Trout."

Suddenly pushing Stephanie onto the couch, Saphirra entrapped Linda with both arms. Linda, obviously taken aback by Saphirra's overbearing presence, looked on at her daughter shockingly, while Saphirra continued to smile on boisterously.

Loudly snapping her fingers, garnering Linda's attention, Saphirra, through a psychotic smile, said "Hey, old woman. I'm going to give you two options, k? You can either hobble to the door and leave peacefully, _or_, I can throw you out _forcefully_!"

Snapping her head in Linda's direction again again, Saphirra licked her teeth, eyes glowing something sinister, almost foaming at the mouth at Linda's obvious fear of her.

Stephanie, standing up for her mother now, suddenly sat up off the couch, but Saphirra wagged an index finger slowly and said, "Ah, ah, ah. You don't want to that. I'm sure Master will definitely have _more_ than a few words to say to you before this lovely night is over. Don't rush the thrill, Steph."

Stephanie, sitting back into the couch now, her face still stained from the running mascara, knowing that Ryan was more than likely right, sat and watched as Saphirra, turning her attention back to Linda, smiling maniacally still, asked very disrespectfully, "What's it gonna be, toots? I'm sure that old folks home you're about to return to is sick with worry. Don't keep them waiting."

Linda, not knowing exactly the full mental scale that Saphirra was on, looked over at Stephanie and told her, "Your father and I are going to get you out of this mess, I promise."

Saphirra, now letting Linda up, backed away from her, and as Linda walked to the door, wriggling her fingers at her, adding insult to injury by saying, "Bye grandma," as the door shut closed.

As soon as the door closed however, Saphirra, almost on thin air, snapped her attention back to Stephanie, pronouncing every word intricately to her.

"I'll be back. Do NOT leave this room!"

* * *

><p>Being that Taker hated both Shamrock and Mankind equally, it was no wonder that the "World's Most Dangerous Man" was being forced into a Hardcore Match with Mankind. Although Kenny nor Mankind ever harbored any personal resentment towards each other, both of them knew, however, that the only reason why they were even paired against each other tonight was for the personal satisfaction of the Undertaker.<p>

If Taker had his way, with any luck, one of these two men, knowing both of their true competitive natures and very different attack styles, would more than likely take the other one out, if they didn't manage to take each other out in the process.

But a fight was a fight, and both Mankind and Shamrock took the fight to each other equally, spilling out to the floor on the outside, hitting each other with trash cans, trash can lids, and even kendo sticks! They fought throughout the crowd and back, threw each other to the steel ring posts and steps, and even Kenny at one point tried to take Mankind's head off with a steel chair!

Once the match got back in the ring, Mankind, sensing that he had Kenny beaten, brought two fingers up into the air, as the crowd stood up on their feet, seemingly knowing what was going to happen next. As soon as Kenny fought his way back up off the canvas, Mankind stuck two fingers into Kenny's mouth, catching him under his teeth and tongue with the Mandible Claw!

Pushing the pressure down into Kenny's mouth, Mankind was leaning Kenny down into the mat, but suddenly, Kenny's superior UFC fighting skills kicked in, because out of the blue, Kenny sweep Mankind's leg from under him in a drop toe hold, Mankind falling face first onto the canvas!

Yelling out, feeling himself going into that zone, Ken bent down and grabbed the right ankle of Mankind, twisting yanking it in the Ankle Lock submission, causing for Mankind, who was in the center of the ring and couldn't reach the ropes, to plant his hands in his head in pain!

Just as Mankind had a a hand in the air, about to plant his hand on the mat repeatedly in defeat, the crowd began turning their head up the aisle-way, to see Saphirra, Kenny's new and improved sister, walking down the ramp to the ring in her very risqué attire. Pulling herself up on the ring ropes, Kenny, finally noticing his sister, released the hold.

JR, all alone at the announce position, asked, "It's that damn Ryan Shamrock, or Saphirra, or whatever the hell she calls herself these days, she's already caused enough trouble here tonight, what in the hell does she want now?"

Smiling at her big brother on the apron, eerily similar to how she had done at Backlash, not saying a word to him again, while Kenny, sweating, heart racing, hurt about his sister's recent actions and words towards him, once again attempted to physically reach out to her, but Mankind, who was hobbling on one leg now, was back up off the mat.

Turning Kenny around forcefully, with his good leg, Mankind kicked the mentally out of it Kenny squarely in the stomach, and delivered a scintillating double arm DDT to him, bringing the "King of the Ultimate Fighting World" down to the mat for 1,2,3.

As Mankind's hand was raised in victory, Saphirra, smiling sadistically, walked back up the ramp, with JR on announcement saying, "Oh, man, what has come over Ryan Shamrock? For the second time in two weeks, Ryan has cost her big brother Kenny a match."

However, if there was ever one good thing to come out of the match, Mankind, seeing that Kenny was still lying on the mat after he lost, actually extended his hand to Kenny, helping to pull him up, even going as far as slapping Kenny on the back for a job well done, which earned an applause from the audience, before Mankind did his signature "bang bang" back up the ramp.

"You wanna talk about character, there's character right there, Mankind, helping Kenny Shamrock up after their match. There's a lot of respect those two right there, ladies and gentlemen, and speaking of respect, these two teams don't have any for each other, because coming up next, Big Boss Man and Triple H, will be teaming against the Acolytes, Farooq and Bradshaw, #1 contender's match for the WWF Tag Team titles, and it's live, next!"

* * *

><p>The next match between the ongoing feud between the Corporation and Ministry was not going to be for the weak at heart, as it promised to be nothing short of physical.<p>

Bossman, nightstick in hand, came down to the ring first, followed by Triple H, who was accompanied by Chyna. Next came the Acolytes, Farooq and Bradshaw, who looked to be all business.

With all five superstars, including Chyna, inside the ring, ready for a fight, itching with anticipation, the crowd suddenly roared to their feet, as "IF YOU SMELL … WHAT THE ROCK … IS COOKING!" blasted throughout the arena, as "The Great One", the man who put Shane on the shelf, made his way down to ringside, as well!

Triple H, standing on the bottom ring rope, talking smack to the Rock, livid that the Corporation no longer had a leader in Shane, pointed down at the Rock, threatening him, while the Rock seemingly paid him no attention.

As the crowd continued to go wild for him, the Rock made his way over to the announcer's booth, with Good Ol JR, and as soon as JR was about to great "The People's Champion", the Rock told him, "Shut your mouth, Jabroni! This is the Rock's time, where the Rock gets all the glory."

Still standing up, putting on his headset, as the superstars in the ring stared down at him, the Rock savored the chants from the fans who chanting his name, "Rocky! Rocky! Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!"

As the Rock sat down, Triple H, still staring a hole through the him, had his back turned to Farooq, who quickly took advantage, jumping Triple H from behind, stomping him into the mat after delivering several clubbing forearms to the back.

"Well, Rock," JR said, "Looks like you're going to join us for a little color commentary tonight."

"That's right, Slim Ross, the Rock, since the idiot who now runs the company, the Undertaker, gave the Rock the night off, the Rock decided to bless all his millions and millions of the Rock's fans with some voiceover, now JR, you are a little too close to the Rock. Scoot your fat ass over some and stop taking up all the Rock's bareathment room," the People's Champ demanded.

JR, not letting the Rock's insults get the better of him, however, still moving over a bit, asked the Rock, "Well, Rock, you certainly look ready for competition tonight, you're healthy, it's a wonder the Undertaker didn't book you in a match here tonight."

"JR, the Rock could care less about the Undertaker and if he booked the Rock into a match here tonight or not. The Rock, gold or no gold, match or no match, is still the damn People's Champ, that's why he didn't book me here tonight. He knows I would have whipped his monkey ass, he knows I would have whipped Austin's beer drinking ass, all over San Diego, and walked out the WWF Champion!"

As Triple H started to get the better of Farooq, tagging in Boss Man, who began working on Farooq's abdomen with hard kicks to the side, JR continued commentating, saying, "Well, Rock, you went through a war with Shane McMahon on that highly rated television special, Smackdown!, putting him through the announce table with a Rock Bottom, and we don't know when or if we'll see Shane again."

"You damn right I did. That walking, talking steaming pile of grade A monkey crap cost the Rock his WWF Title, and I did exactly what I said I was going to do, which was whip Shane McMahon's ass all over the damn arena!"

As the match continued, with the Acolytes getting the upper hand on the Corporation for a moment, the momentum quickly swung back in the Corporation's favor, when Triple H whipped Farooq into the steel ring steps right in front of the announcer's booth. Talking more trash to "The Great One", the Rock, not going to back down from an obvious challenge, stood up, the crowd around them sensing a confrontation, all began to cheer loudly.

As the Rock reminded Triple H to focus on the match and not him, Triple H wisely took his advice, sliding back into the ring, and with Chyna distracting the referee, Triple H and Bossman began to double team Bradshaw.

With Farooq still down on the outside, Boss Man went over to the timekeeper's table, and brought in his nightstick, hitting Bradshaw right in the temple with it, leveling him!

As Chyna conveniently jumped off the ropes then, the Corporation were about to steal one, but Farooq, barely back up now, managed to pull the referee out of the ring, breaking up the count.

Triple H then went outside to battle Farooq, attempting to plant his head on the announcer's table, but Farooq blocked it, and instead, Triple H's head is the one that met the pine.

Back in the ring, the referee was back inside, Boss Man was attempting to use the nightstick on Bradshaw again, as Chyna distracted the referee once again by jumping on the apron, but Bradshaw saw the shot coming, ducking it, and instead, whipped Bossman into the referee on the ring ropes, which in turn, knocked Chyna off, as well, her body being thrown directly into the barricade, causing the crowd in attendance to cheer!

As Farooq and Triple H continued to battle each other, spilling their anger out into the crowd, in the ring, Bradshaw and Boss Man, fatigued, yet still doing a number on each other, continued to fight.

Boss Man was then whipped into the far side of the ropes, where Chyna had gotten back up at. Problem is, Chyna, semi-disoriented from that fall she took, mistook Boss Man's feet for Bradshaw's, and with the referee on the blind side, not able to see properly, Chyna tripped Boss Man, distracting him!

Boss Man, turning around to look at Chyna wildly, who was still holding her jaw, back turned now, not paying attention, turned back around only to receive a big Clothesline from Hell, knocking Boss Man completely flat on his back, eyes gazing up at the ceiling!

As the referee counted, 1,2, Triple H, who had battled back to the front of the fans with Farooq, attempted to run in the ring and break up the count, but it was too little too late, because when the ref's hand slammed down for 3, Farooq and Bradshaw were the new #1 contenders for the tag team titles!

As Bradshaw rolled out of the ring before Triple H could jump him, Farooq re-joined him in the aisle, celebrating their hard fought victory, however Triple H was absolutely livid, running the referee out of the ring, kicking and stomping at the ropes, his hopes of being tag team champion diminished!

As Boss Man got up off the mat, Triple H began berating his partner about losing the match. Boss Man however, holding his jaw now, began pointing at Chyna outside the ring, accusing her of tripping him, costing them the match.

Chyna, not taking too lightly to Boss Man's accusations, then climbed into the ring herself, getting in Boss Man's face, yelling at him, poking her finger in his chest!

In turn, Boss Man, not about to let anyone talk down at him, even if that person was a woman, got in Chyna's face, smiling like only the Boss Man could. Going over to pick up his fallen nightstick, Boss Man began twirling it around in his fingers, directing his anger at Chyna, with Triple H in the middle, trying to stop them from arguing.

Chyna then began to dare for Boss Man to hit her, as Triple in the middle of the two continued to plead with the two hotheads. That's when Boss Man, furious, pushed Triple H from them middle of he and Chyna, bringing his nightstick to the face of the "9th Wonder of the World".

Looking down at the mat now, anger beginning to boil over inside of him, Triple H tried once more to get in between Chyna and Boss Man, to break up their arguing once and for all, but when Boss Man attempted to push at Triple H again, Triple H blocked it, hammering at Boss Man instead!

Getting Boss Man down to the mat, Chyna got a few kicks in on the enforcer, as well, before Boss Man turned the tables on Triple H, mounting him this time, getting four or five square shots to Triple H before being pulled off of him by Chyna from behind!

Boss Man, anger glowing inside his eyes, then walked over to Chyna, backing her into a corner, but Triple H wasn't far behind, turning Boss Man back around, hitting him in the face with furious right hands again!

That's when Rodney and Pete Gas, all that was left of the Corporation, ran down to the ring and tried to break up the fighting, but all they got themselves were the rights and lefts from Triple H and Boss Man, who would not be denied a fight!

Suddenly, an army of referees stormed the ring, attempting to break the two men up. Rodney and Pete Gas, back up from their shots to the head, also intervened, yelling at both men to stop, attempting to reason with the both of them, but it was seemingly no use.

Triple H, who was absolutely beside himself, then climbed out of the ring, walking in front of the announcer's booth, when he turned his attention to the Rock, who was heard on commentary, making rude remarks about him, saying, "Look at all five of these Jabroni's, fighting amongst themselves, and oh, look, here's another Greenwich goof, staring at The Rock."

Triple H, licking his lips, looking for a fight, looking for _anyone_ to fight, held his hands up to Rocky, telling him to come on. The Rock, with his shirt wide open, then stood up and took off his headset, staring right back at Triple H, ready for a fight himself, but off the blind side came Boss Man, but the Rock had the one well-scouted, giving big right hands to Boss Man, almost knocking him over the barricade!

But then, Triple H came running behind Rocky, stomping and hitting him, beating him to the ground.

The Rock, on the ground now, was getting pummeled by Triple H, and then, from the other side, Boss Man proceeded to give Rocky three licks to the face from that nightstick, while JR, screamed from the announce position, that Rocky was being assaulted by a 2-on-1 attack.

But it wasn't 2-on-1 for long, because in came Chyna, offering kicks to "The Great One's" back and shoulders with the well-spiked heel of her boot, along with the Mean Street Posse, literally hitting and running, as well, making it a 5-on-1 situation!

As the fans continued to chant away for Rocky, hoping he would make a resurgence, Triple H, continued to pummel away at the helpless "People's Champion", before the refs, once and for all, restrained he and the rest of the Corporation, ordering them back up the ramp and backstage.

The Rock, however, was lying motionless on the outside, as Raw took it's final break.


	40. Running the Gauntlet

"We're back live here everybody," JR announced. "And before we left for commercial break, the Acolytes defeated Corporation members, Triple H and Big Boss Man, _after_ Chyna inadvertently tripped the Boss Man, which essentially set him up for Bradshaw's Clothesline from Hell, as you'll see here.

But after the match, it looked as if Chyna and Boss Man were ready to go here, but instead, it was actually Triple H and Boss Man, who started tearing it up with each other, until several of our officials had to separate those two.

Then the Rock, who had joined me for commentary at our broadcast position, he had words with Triple H during the brawl with Boss Man, which resulted in the Rock being jumped by all of the Corporation for the second week in a row!"

Up on the Titantron, a replay of the Rock, going to the back, also refusing help from the officials, played out, but then, the scenery changed, as a cameraman was positioned directly outside of a door with a black nameplate tacked on to it; the words in white bold letters spelling out, "Austin 3:16".

Back in the arena, JR announced, "Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's been a wild night here in San Diego. Wherever you are, we want to thank you for staying tuned to us, as Raw goes into overtime. And we are waiting…"

As the door to the dressing room burst opened, out came the Rattlesnake, white bandage over his head, ring attire on, Smoking Skull belt in hand!

"And there he is!" exclaimed JR. "The toughest SOB the World Wrestling Federation has ever known, is on his way to the ring, right here, right now! Ah, ladies and gentlemen, you can feel this electricity, you can feel all through your bone marrow, my only wish is that you all could be here with us live, because the ovation that Austin is about to receive will not be of this world."

As Austin stomped though the backstage area, dramatic thumping music playing for the fans watching at home. Going up a flight of steps, and through a black curtain, two seconds later, as the glass broke, thousands and thousands of fans lurched to their feet at the auspicious site of the Rattlesnake himself!

As Tony Chimel announced Stone Cold, JR, thrilled to see the Rattlesnake, yelled, "Listen to this place! I swear this whole building just shook!"

As Austin went from post to post, saluting the fans in his genuinely rude gesture, on the last post however, Austin seemed a bit wobbly, but didn't skip a beat, throwing up his middle finger, greeting the fans in the San Diego Sports Arena.

JR, noting Austin seemed a bit off in his movements, noted on commentary, "Austin, there, he seemed, um, he seemed a bit dizzy on that last salute to the crowd, and how could you not be, with the shot Austin took the head tonight from the Undertaker, but Austin, he ain't gonna back down, he's ready for a fight!"

As Austin took off his vest and threw his belt down to the mat, the "Toughest SOB in the World Wrestling Federation" stalked the ring, pacing back and forth, waiting for the eventual arrival of the Undertaker.

"And now, we await the arrival of the Phenom."

Suddenly, in true to goodness fashion, the lights went out, the arena suddenly submerged in darkness, but instead of immediately coming back up, they stayed down for longer than normal.

"We're in total darkness here, folks." JR mentioned. "Can't even make out your hands in front of your face it's so dark. We're supposed to be awaiting the arrival of the Undertaker. What is going on?"

As the lights came back up, Stone Cold, sensing Taker would be behind him, turned around swiftly, expecting the Deadman, but there was there. As Austin looked around curiously, yelling over to JR, asking, "Where the hell's he at then?" JR, holding up his hands, said, "Steve your guess is as good as mines. Where is the Phenom?"

Just as JR had finished the question, Taker's dark voice was heard throughout the arena, his dark words cutting through the electricity throughout the arena.

"Austin. Six months ago, you cost me the WWF Title, and for that, tonight, you're going to suffer six months of pain. Before we meet here tonight, Austin, you're going to run the gauntlet."

As Taker's voice ended, Austin, still in the ring, confused as everyone else in the arena was, didn't have to wait long for an opponent, because as the lights dimmed yet again, a chanting noise, one of which was not the Undertaker's, was heard throughout the arena.

"That was the Undertaker's voice, we know that, he said Austin's going to have to 'run the gauntlet', I have no Earthly idea what he means by that, but now we're hearing the music of the Brood?!"

Up on the stage, a circle of fire arose, and out from it, wearing his gothic ring attire, was Christian. As the youngster made his way down to the ring, Austin, inside the ring, didn't have much time to think about anything, because Christian ran full speed from the top of the ramp, into the ring, and once he slid in, the referee rang for the bell, but Austin was all over Christian, before he could even mount any sort of offense.

"Hell, now the bell's rung, we've got a match going I suppose! But this was suppose to be the Undertaker's match, why in the hell in Christian out here?"

And before JR could even get another word out, Austin kicked Christian right in the middle of the gut, delivering a vicious Stunner!

"Stunner! There's a Stunner on Christian! Austin's got the leg hooked, 1,2,3!"

As Austin unmounted Christian, he began stomping and beating at Christian relentlessly, trying to extract some retribution for the hand Christian played earlier in Austin sustaining a mild concussion earlier in the night.

While Christian cowered and attempted to cover up from Austin's blows to the body, the lights to the arena went dark again, and once more, the Brood's music was heard. This time, as Austin, still pounded away at Christian inside the ring, Gangrel came from under the stage, as well, running into the ring at full forced, but he ran right into a Stunner!

The crowd, with absolutely no one in attendance sitting down, yelled and cheered on, as Austin covered Gangrel, the ref issuing a sound 3-count!

As Austin went about pummeling the leader of the Brood, as well, stomping a mud hole in Gangrel and walking it dry, Viscera's music suddenly came out of the speakers in the arena. Austin, paying attention to no one or nothing, continued to stomp away at Gangrel, even going back to stomp at Christian some more, kicking him completely out of the ring now.

"What? What is going on here? Why have three members of the Ministry come out instead of the Undertaker? Where is the Undertaker?"

As Viscera stepped over the top rope, Austin met him half way, delivering vicious right after rights to the head of Viscera, but the big man was able to catch one of Austin's blows, blocking his shot, delivering him a giant head butt, knocking Austin down!

As the crowd began to cheer wildly for the favorite hero, Viscera, with Austin flat on the back, ran into the ropes, lunging into the air, but missed the Big Splash!

As Austin got up off the mat, playing a bit of possum, he helped Viscera back to his feet, only to deliver another Stunner, the ref counting to 3 once again!

Then, without warning, the rest of the Ministry, Farooq and Bradshaw, despite the fact that they had just had a match themselves, ran out first, followed by Edge, then Mideon! Austin, in the middle of the ring, was having to fight off all the members of the Ministry by himself, as JR, smelling a conspiracy, barked on announcements, "This was a damn trap! This was a damn setup! The Undertaker, he never meant to fight Austin 1-on-1 here tonight, and now Austin, he's having to fight for his damn life here!"

As the crowd continued to scream away for Austin, the entire Ministry, including the once beaten Gangrel, Christan, and Viscera, all delivered shots to Austin anywhere they could land them, beating and stomping him into the mat!

With Farooq holding Austin's legs, and Bradshaw holding Austin's arms, all of the Ministry members instructed the gargantuan giant to pounce on Austin! Semi running into the ring ropes, Viscera leaped high into the air, and came crashing down on the Rattlesnake, turning the WWF champion inside out with a Big Splash!

As Austin held his stomach in pain, the lights went out for the final time, and that demonic chant that was so well-known to everyone, came through the arena at everyone loud and clear.

"That's that the Undertaker's music!" JR wildly noted. As the camera panned to the entrance on the stage, JR, now in full realization of Taker's plan, screamed loudly, "That's the Undertaker's music! Austin's been assaulted and left for dead, and here comes the Demon, the Phenom!"

Taker, looking fresh as a daisy, with Paul Bearer right behind him, emerged from the curtain, but he was wasting no time making his way down to the ring. The Phenom looked every bit of serious as he had ever looked in his entire life, and once he raised the lights, the Ministry held a beaten and nearly lifeless Austin by both arms on his knees.

Entering the ring, as Taker looked down at Austin, who was being restrained by Farooq and Bradshaw, Taker, realizing Austin still had some fire left in his eyes, who was still talking smack to the man who was literally moments away from taking his championship, received a huge blow to the head from the right hand of the Undertaker!

Not stopping there, Taker began punishing Austin with shot after shot to the head and face, and still, while the Ministry was restraining him, Taker delivered big boot shots to Austin's abdomen and stomach!

JR, having blown a head gasket at what was unfolding in front of his eyes, reminded everyone at home, "The evilness of the Undertaker, this relentless assault on the Texas Rattlesnake … The Undertaker will always blame Austin for not being the WWF Champion! The Undertaker will never forget that night Judgment in the Rosemont Horizon, the Undertaker could have been the WWF Champion had it not been for Austin, but enough is enough! Austin can't even defend himself!"

With Taker now choking Austin motionless on the canvas, the camera caught a shot of Paul Bearer, ordering Tony Chimel out of his chair. Snatching the chair from him, Paul walked around the ring and threw the steel chair inside, yelling at the referee Hebnar, "If you ring that damn bell, we'll cut your damn arms off!"

Taker, ordering the rest of the Ministry to pick Austin up off the mat, picked up the steel chair from the ground, and as JR screamed, "No, Taker, that's enough! You've done enough!", Taker slammed the chair back down on Austin's head once again, the crowd "oohing" at the sound of cranium meeting steel!

At that moment, the camera panned down to Austin, who was dripping blood once again from that open wound that had only been patched up since earlier in the night!

"That's the third shot Austin has sustained from a foreign object by the hands of the Undertaker in six months! He's still a human being! He's already concussed! His brains are probably scrambled! For God's sakes, stop this!"

Taker, who had that dangerous blank look in his eyes, then motioned with his hand for the Tombstone. Literally dragging Austin by the arm now, Taker bent down and swooped Austin up, walking around with Austin's almost lifeless body as if he weighed nothing. Instructing for Christian to put the chair beneath him, JR screamed, "Not on his head! Not on his head!" but it was too late, because as Taker buckled his knees, Austin's head was sent flat onto the chair, the camera showing the closed eyes closed of the champion, lying motionless.

"Damn him! Damn him! The Undertaker's gonna steal this one here!"

As Taker walked around a lifeless Austin, with Paul ordering the referee to start his 10-count, the fans in the arena started to slowly stand to their feet. Up on the ramp, the cameras caught the sight of Linda McMahon, waving her hand to the curtain over and over again.

Just then, dozens of WWF Superstars, Goldust, Val Venis, Mankind, the Big Show, Test, Shamrock, the Godfather, and many more, rushed the ring, taking on the Ministry! With Austin still flat on his back, Taker, landed a shot to the face of one of the superstars, before he flipped over the top of the ring ropes, escaping a full on war!

Walking backwards up the ramp, looking at his ingenious plan blowing right up in his face in the middle of the ring, Taker suddenly snapped his head angrily back in the direction Linda, who was still up on the ramp! JR then began screaming on headset, "Run, Linda, run for your damn life! Get the hell out of there!"

Linda must have heard JR's pleas, because as soon as she met the eyes of her daughter's husband, she hightailed it through the backstage area, as an irate Taker ran behind her at full speed, trying to catch the former majority owner's wife!

Back inside the ring, the WWF superstars had made waste of the Ministry, and were celebrating their victory of the possessed group!

Shamrock, who was exiting that special zone that he always entered when amped up, then reached down in the turnbuckle to help the fallen and beaten Austin, but Kenny never anticipated that the confused and dazed Austin, who didn't know who was pulling him up, would deliver to him a brutal Stunner, sending Shamrock flying to the mat, as the rest of the superstars scattered out of the ring and out of the way from a potential Stunner for themselves!

Austin, bleeding profusely from the head, fell back into bottom turnbuckle, entirely drained. and although his music was playing and the fans were jacked that he had somehow survived his ordeal, he was far from being a winner.

With a final shot of the fallen Shamrock staring up into the ceiling, and Austin lying in the turnbuckle bleeding heavily, Raw went off the air!


	41. Stephanie vs Saphirra (Part 2)

As Taker ran behind a frightened Linda McMahon, as she was running for her life, several WWE officials, Sgt. Slaughter, Michael "P.S." Hayes, referee, Mike Chioda, Tony Garea, and several other officials, were all knocked down as fast as they came by the big right hands of Taker, because the Deadman was livid!

He had everything perfectly planned out! Tonight was to be his night! Tonight he was to return to the top of food chain, and of all people, Linda McMahon, who was technically speaking, his mother in law now, had ruined those plans!

Storming through the Gorilla Position, literally swatting away countless individuals as they attempted to stop him from getting his hands on the elder McMahon, all Taker could think about was revenge!

As Linda continued to run through the backstage area, falling and tripping over various things and people, trying to escape the icy cold glare of Taker as fast as she could, he continued to relentlessly stalk her! Once Linda made her way back into the parking lot, she almost dived into her awaiting limo. Taker, attempting to open the door, had no luck, because it was locked from the inside out!

Beating on the window with his fist, enraged that Linda had stopped him from reclaiming the WWF Title, the limo suddenly veered off, barely missing Taker's foot in the process!

Seeing nothing but blood red now, with several referees out in the parking lot with him now, attempting to calm him down, Taker began assaulting them, and the ones he couldn't get his hands on all went scattering, running for cover, because Taker had absolutely snapped!

Walking backstage to the arena, several of the Divas, including Debra, who at the time was in the catering area with Jeff Jarrett when all this mayhem began, along with Jacqueline and Ivory, had all come out in the hallway to see what the commotion was about, but upon seeing Taker, all of them, including Jarrett, got the hell out of his way, not wanting to be the next victim of his apparent rampage.

Taker, looking all around him, hair flying across his face, was being begged and pleaded with by other officials to stop the madness that he was conducting, but it was no use. Taker kept walking, looking for something … _someone_ … specific … and then he found him: Austin's dressing room!

Almost kicking the door in, the Rattlesnake, who was being attended to by several of the WWF's doctors, was suddenly jumped from behind by Taker yet again!

Austin, getting boots to his body, not exactly knowing from where or whom they were coming from, attempted to protect himself by covering up, while seemingly anyone and everyone clawed all over Taker, seemingly to no avail.

Austin, the tough SOB that he was, still bleeding from the head, just going on instinct alone, then hopped all over Taker, the two literally tearing up Austin's dressing room!

Clothes went flying, chairs went flying, Austin and Taker, with no television cameras in sight, were absolutely trying to destroy each other! They were hitting each other with exceptionally hard closed fists; the top of Taker's ring attire was ripped, he was bleeding from the mouth, Austin was bleeding from the abdomen and the head, and it took the help of twelve people, six referees and six superstars, to finally pull Austin and Taker apart!

Somehow, Taker was pulled out of the locker room and back into the hallway, and once he fully realized that he was being pulled backwards, Taker made a striking motion at the first person he saw, attempting to hit whomever was holding him back from Austin!

Austin was incensed that Taker had not only set him up for beat down, trying to almost end his career with that Piledriver on top of the steel chair, especially after Austin's accident with Owen Hart almost two years prior, but he was livid that Taker had assaulted him _after_ the show had gone off air, in his own dressing room, no less. He was so enraged with venom that he could be heard screaming from his locker room, his words inaudible from the pure rage that was seeping from his voice.

Now that Taker and Austin were separated, the officials managed to get Taker into one of the other superstars' locker room, and as soon as he was isolated, he began destroying stuff once again. He threw around travel bags with ring attire and other personal items inside of them, he threw chairs against the wall, he tore things off of walls. In short, Taker was nothing short of psychotic, and when he got like this, which was rarely ever, nothing could be done to make him come to his senses.

As soon as the officials felt that Taker had calmed down enough, since they didn't hear things slamming against the wall, Sgt. Slaughter, Tony Garea, two armed police officers, and Jim Ross, the head of talent relations, all walked into the locker room, where Taker was pacing back and forth like a caged animal.

"Hey, Take, come on, man, you've got to stop this," JR pleaded, seemingly tying to talk some sense into him, but Taker, wiping at his bloody mouth, taking off his gloves and elbow pads off, throwing them against the wall, would hear none of it, instead, only looked up at JR with complete malice in his eyes.

"Take, you know that nobody respects you more than I do," JR attempted to reason. "But, you've got to control yourself and come to your senses. You've turned into another human being, that quite frankly, none of us know."

Stopping finally, just to give JR, and the rest of the people in the room a sincere, demonic, semi-possessed smile, that was just as eery as much as it was evil, Taker asked dementedly, "Is that why you brought the cops?"

Slaughter, who had gotten a piece of Taker's right hand just moments before, then spoke out to him. "Taker, you and me, you know we go way back. We've known each other for a long time, but I ain't ever seen you like this. The security is here not to arrest you, but to …"

Looking back over at everyone in the room with that maniacal grin, even the two officers looking at each other with skepticism, Taker said, "That's fine. That's fine. But I'll tell you one thing: you need to keep them around me 24/7. Because as long as Austin is here …You can leave now."

Confusing everyone in the room by his vague, yet very real threat to Austin, then ordering them out of a dressing room that did not belong to him, Slaughter decided to speak up again.

"Taker, I don't know about that. If you try to get back in Austin's dressing room…"

"He won't, he won't, let me handle this, you just get out of my way here," said Paul Bearer, pushing his way into the dressing room, looking exceptionally cool, despite the fact that the man he was managing had literally just gone on a path of destruction.

"You let me handle this and we'll get out of your way," Paul said to everyone.

"You sure?" asked Slaughter, who was still unconvinced that Taker was 100% calmed down.

"Yeah, positive, go on, now, go. Go!" Paul commandeered.

As soon as everyone left out of the locker room, Taker and Paul left too, albeit going in the opposite direction, taking the back way to his locker room.

As the eyes of curious individuals all fell on him, Taker managed to jump at a few people, which scared the daylights out of them. He was being a bully and knew it, but at this point, he honestly didn't give a damn. And with Paul Bearer, right behind him in his ear, reminding him how they were going to extract heinous revenge on both Austin and Linda McMahon, Taker's attitude soured even further. The sound of Austin and Linda's names only managed to enrage him even more!

Walking to a door that said "Stephanie McMahon" on the front of it, Taker burst through it, scaring both Saphirra and Stephanie so badly they jumped in their seats. Pointing at Stephanie specifically, wanting desperately to get out of this building, Taker pointed to the both and them and ordered, "You, get your shit! And you, get your shit! If you don't have it in one minute, find your own damn way to the hotel!"

And with that, he slammed the door behind them.

Grabbing their belongings as fast as they could, almost running now, Stephanie and Saphirra ran down the hallway after both Paul and Taker, struggling to keep up they were walking so fast.

Once Taker heard heels clicking behind him, he turned on a dime, grabbing Stephanie painfully by the arm! Alarmed by what she had managed to do to piss him off this time, before even giving her a chance to protest, Taker asked her quite loudly, still escorting her out of the building, "Why the fuck didn't you tell me your mother was in this building?"

Stephanie, struggling to keep up in her heels, trying to focus on too many things at once, walking properly, the pain in her arm, what he might do to her, what he might do her mother, wasn't able to sufficiently answer the question. She couldn't even form a well-constructed sentence she was so terrified!

As Taker continued to drag Stephanie outside, with Saphirra and Paul Bearer trailing right behind him, sounds of fans, who usually converged around the garage area to get a glimpse of the superstars leaving after every show, could be heard.

Christian was once again Taker's personal chauffuer/bell hop for the night, and when he opened the door for him, the fans were treated to the sight of Taker taking the heel of his boot, and pushing Christian chest first onto the concrete!

While the fans "oohed" and gasped at the scene they were witnessing, Stephanie, trying to explain her side of the story, again couldn't even get her words out, because as Taker let go of her arm, he pointed inside the car and ordered, "Get your ass in the car, now!"

Not hesitating, Stephanie did as she was ordered, and behind her came Saphirra and Paul Bearer. Christian, running to the driver door, put the car into gear and sped off.

Taker, obsessed now with being the World Wrestling Federation Champion, looked up at Stephanie darkly, who was shivering all over. She was a nervous wreck. Before they left Houston, things were fine between them. When they had arrived here in San Diego, everything was was fine. Now that she was at the show and around this environment, Mark had turned into a monster, and she didn't know why!

Trying to regulate his voice, Taker crawled over to Stephanie, pinning her against the door. Stephanie, eyes wide with a fear, had her hair played with by Taker, before he asked frankly, his voice still laced with evil, "Why didn't you tell me your mother was in the building? Honesty, Stephanie, honesty."

Shaking her head, Stephanie reminded him as quickly as she could, "You told me to not leave out of the office! You told me to stay in the office and not leave. You didn't even come back. I was just doing what you told me to do."

Cold and shaky, Stephanie continued to stare up at him, as he was silent for a moment. Feeling like she had him trapped into a corner, since she only had done what he had ordered her to do, Taker asked distinctly, "So you knew she was in the arena?"

Steph, being completely honest with her husband again, nodded and said, "Yes, baby, she came into my office, she…"

And that's exactly what Taker was looking for. Reaching up to her head now, Stephanie was frightened to death that he was going to yank on it again, but surprisingly, he didn't. Rubbing it with his hands, massaging almost, Taker leaned down to his wife, nose to nose, asking with all intensive purposes, "She came to the office for what? What did you talk about?"

Stephanie knew where the conversation was going now. If she told Mark that Linda had tried to convince her to go back home in Greenwich, or that she had vowed to help Stephanie get out of a marriage that she had assumed Stephanie didn't want to be in, her mother would be in severe danger. But if she lied and he found out about it, then _she'd_ be in severe danger!

Almost crying now, Stephanie broke down, shaking her head, "She was just checking on me, honey, that's all. She asked how I was doing, she wanted to know if I was ok …"

"LIES! Half-truths, Master!" Sapphira blurted out. Pointing at Stephanie, then snapping her head back to Taker, Saphirra began spilling her guts.

"I heard the entire thing! Her _mommy_ came in there, begging Stephanie to come home, to the home in Greenwich! She asked had you put your hands on her! Stephanie tried to hide her mother from you! She never meant to tell you that her mother was here tonight! After _I_ ran her off, she then said she was going to get Stephanie out of this 'mess.'"

"Is that right," Taker asked, looking at Saphirra, who was now squinting her eyes up at Stephanie evilly, nodding her head in confirmation.

Stephanie could not believe that Ryan had ratted her out! She knew that they disliked each other immensely, but for her to blab everything to Mark like she had…?

Taker then slowly turned his head back to Stephanie, who was cowering in the seat next to him, when suddenly, Paul Bearer whistled, letting out an, "Uh oh," and instead of Taker flying off the handle at Stephanie, he almost dove on Saphirra, as she screamed out in terror!

Lifting her hands up to Taker's chest, as he wrapped her black hair solidly around his fist, Saphirra was pulled to Taker closely, as he bean speaking in that dark tone of his that only suggested that he had somehow gotten even madder since they leaving the arena.

Consumed with rage, Taker spat, "You little bitch! You had the nerve to leave that office just to get one over your stupid brother, but you didn't tell me Linda McMahon was in that damn building?"

Stephanie, although she was watching the scene in horror, almost wanted to smile in pure jubilation. Finally, Saphirra was getting hers and she couldn't be happier on the inside!

Before Saphirra could give a sufficient enough answer, saying weakly, "M-m-m-m-m-m-Master, please, I can explain…", the car pulled to a stop in front of the hotel, with fans, but not as many as there were earlier in the day, waiting outside the hotel, hoping to get a first glimpse at their favorite superstars.

Taker, still holding Saphirra by her hair now told her grimly, "In my room. Don't wait."

As Saphirra and Paul climbed out of the limo, Steph was poised to follow their lead, as well, but Taker grabbed Stephanie by the arm again, pulling her back into the car, slamming the door emphatically shut.

_"Oh, no. What's he's going to do to me now?"_

Turning his head back to his wife relatively slowly, Taker asked Stephanie calmly, as if he was never mad at all, "What did your mother say? What did you tell her? And I want the truth."

Although Taker was speaking to her peacefully now, Stephanie was still terrified! Steph knew what he was capable of when he was angry like this, but she didn't want to reveal the true nature of her conversation with her mother. What would Mark do to her in retaliation?

Feeling Stephanie was taking too long to answer his question, Taker said again, "Stephanie. Your mother cost me the title tonight with Austin. Saphirra already squealed you out. All I want is an answer: what did you two talk about?"

As Stephanie heard Mark say that Linda had somehow cost him the title tonight, the pit of her stomach began to boil with fear. Putting her hands in her face, Stephanie, in tears, squeaked out, "Mark, you're going to do something to my family. You're going to hurt them, and then what? I could never live with myself."

"_If only she knew daddy dearest and Shane were already handicapped …"_

Taker brushed her hair from the side of her face, deciding to ask once more, "Steph, this is my last time asking you. What did you and Linda talk about? I won't ask again."

Knowing that Mark truly meant what he was saying, and in fear of him truly doing harm to her family, Stephanie, still holding her head down, finally revealed, "She's just so worried about me. Please, Mark. She told me I hadn't called, my family didn't know how I was doing, and they're genuinely concerned about my well-being. She told me to come home with her, and I told her no.

I tried to get her out of there, because I didn't want anyone to find out she was in the building. I was afraid of what you would have done, please, please try to understand, I wasn't trying to get in trouble, but that's my mother, what was I supposed to do?"

Looking down at her, feeling Stephanie was finally telling him the truth for a change, Taker asked another question.

"Is that all? Did you tell her about our plan?"

Shaking her head no, Taker retorted, "Words, Stephanie." Exhaling now, Stephanie, attempting to calm herself, said, "No, I didn't tell her anything." Rubbing his chin hair now, looking at Steph skeptically, Taker asked one final question.

"If I hadn't told you not to leave the office, would you have told me? Yes or no?"

Stephanie, heart almost breaking with agony, shook her head and whispered, "No."

That's all Taker wanted to hear. Opening the car door first, still with his wrestling attire on, Stephanie followed out of the car, as the fans took pictures of the two as they entered the hotel. She knew Mark was disappointed in her, but she couldn't possibly turn her back on the woman who had given birth to her. Mark was asking too much of her.

As they arrived back to their hotel room, Taker grabbed Stephanie by the arm, pushed her into the bedroom, and told her, "I'll deal with you later."

As Stephanie sat down on the bed, grief stricken, she heard knocks on the hotel door, and then, the living room was filled with men's voices, whom she took for the Ministry. All of them were talking at once, upset that Linda had ruined their plans, asking Taker what he was going to do about her.

That's when Steph began to cry again. When Mark was truly upset, there was almost nothing anyone could do stop him, and she didn't want her family to be the brunt of his anger. That's when she heard Ryan crying, and Mark scolding her.

"I should send your ass back to live with your brother!" Taker snarled out. "Your disloyalty tonight is reprehensible."

Saphirra crying, pleading through sobs, screamed, "Nooo! I'll do anything to stay! Don't make me go back! Please, I want to stay. I want to stay!"

Bradshaw, forever the antagonist, then chimed in, "Oh, do it, Mark! Send her ass back! She ran down for Kenny's match, but she ain't tell us that that God forsaken woman was in the building? I say send her ass back!"

Saphirra, who was on her knees in the living room, suddenly grabbed Taker by his legs, looking up at him, begging for her master not to send her back to Kenny. The Ministry was her entire world now, and if he excommunicated her, then what would she do?

"I'll … I'll do anything! Please don't make me go back to him!"

Snatching his legs away from her, walking around the room, Saphirra, beside herself, much like her master earlier, turned absolutely psychotic!

Looking around the room frantically, getting up off of her knees now, Saphirra stormed into the bedroom, screaming at Stephanie, who was sitting on the bed with her legs folded up. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Stephanie, looking up with bewilderment, couldn't believe that Ryan was blaming _her_ for _her_ mistake! Having just about enough verbal abuse for one day, Stephanie snapped back, "Bitch, wait, what? How is this my fault?

Unfolding her legs now, Stephanie watched as Saphirra crept around the room at her, "Had your mother never shown up tonight, this would have never happened! She cost Master the title tonight! I knew you were trouble! He should just get rid of you, not me! And as far as I'm concerned, YOU CAN GO TO HELL!"

Having heard enough of Saphirra's verbal abuse, Stephanie, screamed "BITCH!", before lunging at Saphirra from the bed with wide arms, tackling the girl down to the floor!

The fight was on!

Saphirra was clawing at Stephanie, pulling her hair, attempting to kick her, while Stephanie went about slapping the girl with open palms, making Saphirra's head tilt from side to side with each blow! Almost picking Saphirra up by the neck, Steph took her hands and wrapped them around Saphirra's throat, attempting to take her head into the floor beneath them!

As the Ministry looked on, Christian attempted to stop the girls from fighting, but Mark stuck his arm out in front of him, telling him, "Nah. Let them do this."

As Stephanie got up off of Saphirra, attempting to kick her with the blunt heel of her boot, Saphirra moved out of the way just in the knick of time, and dragged Stephanie down her down in similar fashion to a Double Leg Takedown, making the two women spill their fight out into the living room area, causing the Ministry to back up, Bradshaw, always in the mood for a fight, making fighting motions with his hands.

Saphirra then got on top of Stephanie from her back, grabbed Stephanie by her hair, making her arch her back, and with one swift motion, slapped Stephanie in the face backwards, causing Steph to scream out in pain.

Throwing her head down to the floor, Saphirra, talking to Stephanie now, attempting to rub her forehead in the carpet, then picked her head back up, slapping her in the face again, throwing her head back down to the floor, face first! When Saphirra tried to hit pick Steph's head up from the floor for the third third time, just like Stephanie had done Mark, she clamped down on Saphirra's hand hard with her teeth, causing the girl to scream in pain!

Getting off of her now, Saphirra, shaking her hand, walked over to the other side of room, breathing heavy, lips snarling together. Stephanie, who had managed to get to her feet, as well who looked as equally ravaged as Saphirra, her makeup skewered all across her face, stared back at the crazed woman with danger lurking in her eyes.

Opening and closing her hands, Saphirra told Stephanie, "Come on, _bitch_!"

Stephanie, running with a boost of adrenaline, then lunged at Saphirra again, knocking the girl down to the floor! On top of her now, Stephanie slapped Saphirra as hard as she could she three consecutive times, before with a closed fist hit her across the jaw! Almost with brute strength now, Stephanie reach down and picked Saphirra up, throwing her back first into the arm of the couch!

Running and tackling her in the stomach, Stephanie, clearly in control, began pounding Saphirra's head to the cushion of the couch, and when she tired of that, she switched to slaps again. Mark, walking around the room, with the most devious smile on his face, from seeing his wife take on another woman such as this, simply stared on Stephanie continued to pound away at Saphirra, absolutely giving her what for.

All the frustration that Stephanie was feeling, Mark taking his anger out on her earlier tonight, having to go through with the plan that he concocted, having to deceive the entire roster, having her family worry about her, having her mother show up to the arena tonight unexpectedly, poured out in pure aggression. All of that pent up anger and emotion was coming out of her, as she continued to wail on Saphirra on a nearly immobilized Saphirra.

That's when Mark came up behind Stephanie, picking her up with ease around the waist, but as she was being picked up, Stephanie gave Saphirra one quick stiff kick to the stomach with the toe of her boot, causing the girl to cry out in pain, rolling onto the ground!

That's when Stephanie, still kicking and clawing at Mark's hands, trying to loosen his grasp of her, desperately trying to reach Saphirra again, said with vigor, "Now who's the bitch now, _bitch_?" going as far to even spitting in Saphirra's direction!

As Gangrel went over to help Saphirra up off the ground, her mouth bleeding slightly, her hair all over her face, her breasts nearly toppling out of her corset, Saphirra, looked back at Stephanie, grinning widely, letting out one of the most evil cackles Stephanie had ever heard, before telling her, "It's not over, bitch!"

Mark, having seen and heard enough, finally spoke up, still holding an irate Stephanie by the waist, telling Saphirra, "Yes, it is over, and you better watch your tongue talking to my wife like that, or you won't have a tongue."

Disgusted that Mark was taking up for Stephanie, feeling she was not even worthy enough of being his presence, let alone holding the title as his wife, Saphirra, looking at Mark in disbelief, moved Gangrel's arms from around her forcefully, before walking past Stephanie and Mark, with a visible limp to the door of the living room, but not before she offered one awful looking grin back in Stephanie's direction, walking into the hallway.

Paul, who was absolutely astounded by what had just transpired in front of him, smacked his hands together, and said casually, "So, there's a bar right up the road here. How about we get ourselves a couple of beers, huh?"

As everyone grumbled and laughed about the recent events that had just taken place, leaving Mark and Stephanie alone, Mark finally sat Stephanie's feet to the ground, who was smirking a bit herself. While looking at down at him curiously, Steph, having experienced the first ever physical fight in her life, looked back up at Mark and asked, "So, what's for dinner?", before walking into the bedroom, leaving Mark all alone in the living room, that evil smirk on his face ever present.


	42. A Needed Discussion

Mark had stayed in a lot of hotels in his lifetime, and yes, some in his younger days, he had occasionally torn up when a wild party, beautiful women, free flowing booze, and good music were all present. However, of all those rooms that he had stayed in, and there were quite a few, mostly rinky dink rundown motel rooms when he wasn't making much money, never had he looked around and saw so much destruction like he was witnessing now.

Pillows were askew, chairs were knocked over, glass was broken, from where, he couldn't quite pinpoint, and certain liquids were dripping off the table onto the dining room floor. In short, the room he was standing in looked nothing short of a bar room brawl between two men … not women.

As Mark continued to look around, he tried his best to suppress a smile, but he just couldn't help himself. This is what he wanted to see out of Stephanie: aggression. She wasn't a little girl; she was a grown woman, therefore, she should act like it, and act like it up to his standards.

There was no room for the weak in the Ministry, and Stephanie, slowly but surely, would be molded into the woman he knew that she could be.

Sighing, Mark, as soon as he opened the door to the bedroom that Stephanie had closed, saw Stephanie was coming out of it. Looking down at the ground, Mark grabbed Steph lightly by the arm, pushing her face up with his hand, attempting to read her thoughts.

Staring back up at him blankly, Mark let go of her, where Steph promptly entered the kitchen area of the hotel room, opened a utility closet, and brought out a mop, broom, and dustpan. She didn't look happy at all.

As she began cleaning up, Mark, who still had on his torn wrestling gear, sat back on the couch. If he smoked, he would, because at this time, he needed one. A little chewing tobacco never hurt anyone; he knew technically that it did, but since he didn't have any, he had to bypass that, as well.

He wanted a drink, but he didn't have that, either. Running his fingers through his hair and looking over at Stephanie in complete boredom, Mark quipped, "I thought the Greenwich Princess never did manual labor."

However, clearly, Stephanie wasn't in the mood.

As she bent down to sweep up the broken pieces of glass on the floor, Mark, realizing his American Express was going to be taxed big time for this little incident, walked and stood over her. Noting the presence of a huge shadow above her, Stephanie got to her feet and attempted to walk away, but Mark grabbed her again.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's with the long face?"

Shaking her head, Stephanie attempted to walk off again, but Mark kept a hold on her arm, asking her gently, "Now you know you're not about to get away with that, right?"

Sighing, then mumbling something, looking down at the ground, Stephanie merely shook her head in return. Mark, taking the dustpan from Stephanie's hands and placing it on the table, allowing the broom to fall to the floor, sat in one of the room's chairs, pulled Stephanie on top of him, and wrapped her up in his muscular arms, as Stephanie began to protest/

"Mark, I really have to get this mess up. I hate a messy room."

Nodding, placing his shoulder on her chin, Mark replied, "Yeah, you do, and yeah, I know, however, what I don't know is what's wrong with you. Don't you think I deserve an answer?" with a bit of sarcasm coming out of his voice.

Stephanie, shaking her head, asked half-snappingly, "How can you be so be so calm when all that went on at the arena with my mom? Here I am, I just got into a fight with Ryan, and you're being sarcastic? Mark, you don't realize what's going on with me."

Feeling like he was getting to the root of the issue, Mark continued, "And what's going on with you?"

Stephanie, looking down at Mark's laced fingers around her, noting his wedding band, looked up into the ceiling, shaking her head, and said, "Now, you're going to put my mother on your hit list. Now, you're going to make her your next victim. And I just got into a fight. A real fight. A fist fight. With curse words, punches thrown, and everything. I've never been in a fight before, and to do it in front of everyone, like a common thug … that had to be the lowest moment of my life. And then you're mad at me. You treated me horribly tonight. Mark, I didn't even do anything."

Rubbing his chin hair now, visibly smiling, Mark, in one quick motion, picked Stephanie up, cradling her like a baby, and carried her back into the bedroom, placing her on the bed.

Getting on the bed himself now, straddling her, Mark took Stephanie's shirt off. She wasn't in the mood for sex, and she could tell he wasn't either, but she still allowed him to remove her sparkly blouse. She didn't have a bra on, and Mark, instead of going for sex, simply laid on his side, pulling Stephanie into his arms. They were eye to eye now, so he began his lines of questioning again.

"Excuse me. I've been wrestling too long and my memory is starting to slip, but, I'm going to go back over your concerns. Ok?"

Stephanie looked on at Mark baffled. She couldn't believe that with all that what had happened, Linda showing up to Raw, him being pissed with her, and her fighting Ryan, that he was playing these childish games.

"So, you're going to be my shrink now?" Stephanie asked incredulously, rolling her eyes at the pomposity of it all.

Rubbing his hand lightly over her face, moving some of her hair off her shoulder, Mark replied. "If you want me to be, yeah, sure, I'll be Dr. Mark. Now, you said that fighting Saphirra was your lowest moment, right?"

Answering with a nod, Mark continued, "So not being forced to marry me on live television, was that not your lowest moment?"

Fully comprehending what he was getting at, Stephanie thought to herself, and strangely, it wasn't. Did she want to go through with that at the time?

No, but things had changed so quickly for her. Looking down at the bed, rubbing her finger over the sheets, Steph replied, "I mean, I … you know … when all of this was over, I thought about us, you know, maybe doing it the right way. Maybe in Texas or something, but not like a huge ceremony or anything. Something with maybe your immediate family there, and you know … mines. I don't know, I guess it's not."

Nodding his head and running his tongue over his teeth, Mark asked genuinely, "And why is that?"

Looking down at the bed before Mark lifted her head up so his eyes could meet hers again, Stephanie said proudly, "Because I love you. I'm _in_ love with you. That's why I can't figure out why you continue to get angry with me, but it's like no matter what you do, I can't seem to shake what I feel for you."

Knowing his next question was going to scare her a bit, if not a lot, Mark forged on anyway and asked, "Would you still love me, _be_ in love with me, if I got revenge on Linda?"

Eyes lighting up like a Fourth of July sparkler, Stephanie stared back into Mark's blank eyes feeling as she were about to bolt from the room just in order to protect her mother.

_"I knew it! I knew it! Oh, my God. What is he going to do?"_

Before she could start fully panicking, Mark seeing it in her face, responded, "Don't go getting yourself worked up. I'm just asking a question."

Truth be told, Stephanie was very afraid for Linda. She wanted desperately to talk to her, to at least get some kind of comprehension about what had happened tonight. She figured by now that Mark had her under lock and key in the office each time they came to an arena was because he didn't want her messing up, but going after her mother was extreme, and she had to do something about it.

"Can you just please tell me what happened tonight and what I can do to fix it? Mark, that's my mom. You'll hurt her. You can be …"

Putting his finger up to her lips, cutting off her statement, Mark said, "What happened tonight was this: I was dick to you on purpose. I'm sorry. I don't say sorry much, but I am. With that said, I saw how you broke down after your daddy's lawyers left the house, and I didn't want you potentially cracking under the pressure. I made sure our plan kept moving forward. I was being mean to you on purpose."

Shaking her head, Steph, in total disbelief that Mark was once again being mean to her on purpose, when she had mentally beaten herself up, thinking she had done something to truly piss his off, looked up into his greens eyes and asked, "Do you think I'm weak or something?"

Smirking a bit, Mark looked back down and immediately up again, and said, "No. I don't think you're a weak woman. You beat the hell of out Saphirra tonight, then spat at her at the end. Why you think I took so long to break you two up?"

Not wanting to relive that moment, but her face was reminding her of how hard Ryan could actually hit, Stephanie asked Mark politely, "Please don't bring that back up again. That was a very low point for me tonight."

Laughing out loud, Mark roared for a moment before he reminded Stephanie, "Your father, your grandfather, you're a 4th generation McMahon. You do know your family almost runs the entire wrestling industry, right?"

Nodding, Stephanie then added shamefully, "Yeah, but Mark, you guys are _wrestlers_. That's what you do; you wrestle. I'm not a wrestler. I could never see myself fighting anyone for any reason, and tonight, I did."

Kissing her on the nose now, Mark responded, "Neither was your father until Austin came along."

Rubbing his hands over her abdomen, Mark shook his hair with his hands, and kept the conversation moving. "Like I was saying, no, you're not a weak woman, but you aren't quite evil, either. Steph, you have a lot of morals and values. I don't. I just made sure you didn't crack tonight. Was it mean? Sure, but it's something I did because you're simply not there yet."

Rolling her eyes, still thinking Mark was equating her to a weak woman, Steph asked lightly, "Well, are we just going to keep letting you verbally abuse me? If we're going to work on this plan together, we need to do it together, not just when it's convenient for you. Mark, you've tricked me twice now. When am I going to have a say so in this?"

Realizing that she had a valid point, Mark turned a question back onto her now, asking, "Do you think tomorrow night, when we begin these house shows, that your little testing ground so to speak will carry over to next Monday night? You know all the roster isn't there for a house show, so it's different. When we go to Raw Monday, everyone will be there. Do you honestly think you can do it?"

Nodding, Stephanie, adamant, replied back, "Yes. I've thought about it, over and over again, and I was ready to do it tonight, but you haven't given me the opportunity. It's like you don't have faith in me. You keep asking me do I want to be with you, and I've told you yes, countless times now, but the question should be, do you want to be with me, because it doesn't seem like it."

Rubbing at her side still, staring at her for a moment before he compiled his answer, Mark spoke up finally and said, "You know I do. I just care about your well-being, ok? You were a mess yesterday. I didn't want to see that happen to you again."

Wanting to change the subject now, knowing Mark still wasn't convinced she could go through with the plan on her own, Steph went back to what they were previously discussing.

"And what exactly happened with my mom tonight? How did she cost you the match with Austin, and what are you going to do in return?"

Stroking the side of her face still, Mark asked, "You sure you want the truth?"

Looking around the room smiling a tiny bit, Steph answered, "Positive."

Nodding, sitting up in the bed, Mark folded his arms up and said, "Ok. Tonight, I had Austin run a gauntlet match. Why? Because I can. He ran the gauntlet, and I came down for the win. I used a chair and then I Tombstoned him on it. I was about to win the title, when your mother …" Mark stopped briefly, having to regain his composure, and once he did, continued saying, "…had almost the entire roster intervene. Why? I don't know why. It was none of her business. That was between me and Austin. I saw your mother, chased her to her car, when I couldn't get ahold of her, I went back to Austin. You happy now?"

Eyes gaging almost out of her head, Steph couldn't believe that Mark had just admitted to chasing her poor mother! Linda was still in pretty good shape for a woman of her age, however, being a small, demure woman, Mark towered over her and could easily break her in half without even trying if he wanted to, and that alone scared the hell out of her!

Shaking her head, Steph whispered, "That's just evil. You know Austin had an accident with his neck, then you chase my mom?"

Shrugging, Mark said, "What me and Austin do in the ring shouldn't concern you or anybody else. We're both men. Austin cost me the title last year, and I haven't forgotten. As far as your mother goes, you shouldn't even worry about that. I'm not going to touch her, the Ministry is not going to touch her, _but_, she does need to mind her own business, Stephanie. Tonight had nothing to do with her."

Putting her hands in her face, Stephanie leaned down and came back up and said, "But Mark, this is her company, too. She's still a minority shareholder. You two have to work together now. She's on the board of directors. Plus, she's my mom. She's going to care about me. She's just not going to stop loving me."

Nodding, Mark added, "Ok," with a bit of sarcasm still in his voice. "Sure. Whatever. But what did that have to do with my match?"

Shaking her head, still afraid of Mark was going to do, Stephanie opened her mouth to give a respondse, but the question was answered for her.

"Nothing. I won't touch your mom. I wanted to get my hands on her tonight, but, cooler heads have prevailed, ok? She just needs to mind her own business, Steph. Me and Austin have absolutely nothing to do with her."

Steph, knowing Mark could turn down right insane when he wanted to, asked lastly, "And what if she doesn't?"

Touching the small of her breasts, then rubbing his thumb over her lip, Mark said finally, "I guess we'll just have to see what happens when we make it to that crossroad, won't we?"

Stephanie's thoughts about her mother still weren't soothed. In fact, she felt a chill go over her entire body. Linda had been with the WWF for a very long time, and she had equally helped her father to build this empire, however, she wasn't ready for the likes of Mark.

He could be evil and diabolical, with no conscience whatsoever when he wanted to be, and even though Mark had promised not to hurt her, most likely out of respect for Stephanie, she was still afraid for Linda's safety. It honestly sounded like Mark was hellbent on ending Austin's career, and if he could do all of that to him, including chasing her mom out of the arena tonight, and admitting to it, what else could he do when he put his mind to it?

Looking down at her wedding band, Stephanie heard Mark say, "Whatever happened to the shy little girl who was afraid of being naked in front of me?"

Shrugging silently, Stephanie said, "I guess she went on a vacation."

Rubbing the top of her head, then kissing her lightly on her forehead, Mark asked, seemingly already knowing the answer, asked, "A permanent one?"

Steph, giving a closed smile, nodded a yes.

Rising from the bed now, Mark looked down at Stephanie, telling her, "As soon as I get out of the shower, I'm going to help you clean up, ok? Then we'll go somewhere."

Intrigued, going through her bag looking for a shirt to cover her bare upper half, Steph asked curiously, "Somewhere like …?"

Smiling, walking behind her to wrap his arms around her again, Mark told her nicely, "You'll see soon enough." And with that, he walked off, going into the bathroom for a well-deserved shower.

As Stephanie cleaned up, she continued to think about her mom. She wanted to talk to her, to call her, but she was afraid Mark would get mad at her. And she couldn't figure out why Vince and Shane stayed home tonight. Did they not want to see her?

She was pretty sure Vince was going to have something to say about Mark running off Dean and Matthew, along with promises for her return to the family, but it had been nothing of the sort. Was Mark really right about her family? Did they not really give a damn about her?

Steph's wondering thoughts lead her to cleaning up the mess she and Ryan made in record time, because before Mark could even get out of the shower, she was finished. After putting everything away, Stephanie walked into the bedroom to see her husband completely naked again. She still perked up with color to her face seeing him like this, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before.

Walking around the room nonchalantly, Stephanie looked at Mark and burst into laughter. She couldn't help herself. Even though she was semi-comfortable being nude in front of him, the way he strutted around naked as if he didn't have a care in the world, for whatever reason, tickled her pink.

Looking up, smiling himself, Mark asked, "So you think I'm funny?"

Steph, attempting to suppress her laughter, couldn't help herself, and began laughing once more, as Mark chased her into the bathroom. Taking her clothes off, Steph didn't realize how sore she was from that fight until she got in the shower.

She had even negated to check to see if her face was ok from all those slaps she took from Ryan, and for whatever strange reason, maybe because she had so many other things on her mind, she had almost forgotten about the fight as a whole, even though it happened less than an hour ago.

Shrugging, Stephanie gave herself a much deserved shower, before stepping back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around her. Mark already had his clothes on, just a plain black T-Shirt paired with black jeans. He also had his eyebrow piercing in, something that was new for Stephanie.

Sitting down on the bed behind Mark, Steph whispered, "Why'd you get this," tapping the piercing lightly.

"Eh, just something I wanted."

Kissing on the side of his neck now, rubbing her hands over his chest, Steph asked, "Did it hurt?"

Almost looking back at her for a moment, Mark smirked and replied, "No. Why? You want one?"

Answering his question by unwrapping her arms around him, Mark howled with laughter. Stephanie had always thought of herself as a princess, and princesses didn't get tattoos and piercing.

Standing with her towel still wrapped around her, Steph went over to her bag, trying to figure out what to wear. Mark wasn't telling her where they were going and she wanted to dress appropriately, but then on the other hand, she wanted to impress him, as well.

Going over to a suit protector she hung in the closet when they initially came here, Steph walked over to it, but before she could even unzip it, Mark sneaked up behind her, and with one swift motion, snatched the towel away from her, exposing her naked body! She didn't even have time enough to react before he picked her up, throwing her onto the bed stomach first!

Before she could even ask what he was doing, Mark smacked Steph on both butt cheeks multiple times, causing them to turn bright pink. He wasn't hurting her, the slaps actually felt sensual and erotic, and she was quite enjoying the slight pulsing sensation his pats were creating. She then felt what appeared to be lotion fall on her backside, with Mark taking the palms of his hands, and massaging the lotion into her skin, gently, slowly, and carefully.

Steph honestly felt like she was drifting off to sleep for a moment from all the caressing attention she was receiving to her body, and when Mark went to kissing on her neck, Steph, moaning in ecstasy, suddenly felt herself growing wet. Grabbing the back of Mark's head, Steph met his hips with hers, and as he slowly ground his hips into hers, she once again became lost, washed up in a tantalizing sexual rhapsody. She wanted him now, wanted to feel his body moving directly into hers, but as Mark slowly back away from her, as she pouted and whined in displeasure, Steph knew that, for at least right now, the timing wasn't right.

Not understanding how Mark could work her into such a sexual frenzy, then back away from her, Stephanie huffed and puffed out of the bed, and walked over to the suit protector, taking out her clothes. Mark snickered some because he knew she was sexually frustrated now, so sexually frustrated that she had even walked out of the bed naked without attempting to cover herself up first, but he did want to take her out tonight, and if they had sex the way he wanted them to, they'd never get out, so unfortunately, sex would have to wait.

As Stephanie dressed, Mark, standing by the door, watched in a daze almost as she slowly began to dress. He liked seeing her naked, but he also liked the fact that she was becoming more and more comfortable sexually than she was previously.

Steph, who was now wearing a black backless romper, which tied around the back of the neck, looked nervous. For one, she hated how she virtually had little to no breasts. While all her girlfriends in high school and college seemingly graduated with C and D cups, Steph was still the same old B cup, and it irked her. Her small breasts made filling in certain tops excruciating when she looked in the mirror. She had previously talked with her mom about getting implants, and she was totally behind the decision, but now, she had a husband, and she didn't know what he would think about getting the procedure done.

Seeing her struggling in the mirror, Mark called out, "Something wrong?"

Steph, turning from side to side, trying to mentally convince herself that from the right angle, her breasts looked just as perky as a Playboy cover girl's, said to her husband, "Oh, no, nothing's wrong, I just wish I had maybe Sable breasts, that's all."

Almost in disbelief, Mark asked back snidely, "What, visibly fake?"

Not deterred, however, Stephanie, still switching positions in the mirror, responded, "Yeah, but they fit her. I look like a school girl in the chest. My mom and I talked about getting me getting implants, and she's perfectly fine with it, but … you know … I don't know how you would feel about them."

Folding his arms up, looking into the ceiling, Mark replied back, "Look, Steph, I think you look fine, you're beautiful just the way you are, but, if you want to get them done, be my guest. Hell, I'm covered in tattoos. People told me not to, but I did it anyway. Whatever makes you happy, then I guess I'm happy."

Totally shocked by his statement, Steph looked back and smiled at him. She wasn't so sure that she was going to get them done, but with her husband's approval, she knew she would definitely be getting them.

After she put on her jewelry and shoes, Steph looked in the mirror and honestly liked what was staring back at her. She paired her romper with gold accessories, earrings, bracelets, and a chain link belt around her waist, with a pair of black platform sandals. Her faced looked fine, as well. She wasn't bruised or scarred, but she decided to put on a bit of makeup anyway, to liven up her attire. In the end, she came out looking like a girl in the 90s. With her curly hair falling over her shoulder, Mark whistled at the beauty in front of him.

Walking up to her now, grabbing Stephanie around the waist lightly, Mark, licking his lips, while Steph looked at the ground shyly, told her, "That's a twenty two year old." Nodding and smiling, Mark grabbed Steph by the hand, and lead her out of the room. Where they were going, she didn't know, but she guessed she would soon find out.


	43. Ride Em Cowgirl

Walking downstairs hand in hand with her husband, Stephanie felt spectacular about herself.

She didn't have the breasts, but she thought the outfit she picked out for tonight really complimented her figure. And with her man's fingers laced with hers, there simply wasn't a better feeling.

There wasn't a car waiting for them outside, and when Stephanie noticed that, Mark informed her that they'd be walking to their destination. It was only a block away from the hotel, which made Stephanie's brain ease a bit, because walking any more than that in the shoes she had on was asking for serious trouble.

Night time in San Diego was very eclectic. There was a good mix of people everywhere you turned, Black, White, Asian, men, women, even some street performers, which is what Stephanie didn't get to see back in Greenwich.

There were tons of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs on the same street as the hotel, and many people were simply standing outside, conversing, drinking, and having a good time.

She saw a few male eyes, and even some female eyes, but those were mostly from a look of jealousy, fall onto her. When Mark noticed that several men were staring at Stephanie as they walked down the sidewalk, he firmly planted his hand on Stephanie's ass, walking with her still, her face turning pink with embarrassment.

Hitting his shoulders playfully, Mark told Stephanie smiling, "Just marking my territory."

As they made it to the end of the sidewalk, they came across a nightclub called _The_ _Double Ace_. Mark paid their admission, and as they walked in, the place was packed.

It wasn't quite as smokey as Steph thought it would be, but there were definitely scantily clad women and free flowing booze every way you turned. There was even a mechanical bull, surrounding by inflatable mats, in the middle of the club. There were American flags hanging from the walls, the waitresses were dressed in black wife beaters with the words "Double Ace" printed on the front, along with daisy dukes, cowboy boots, and hats, while country music played loudly through out the establishment.

As Stephanie continued to survey _The_ _Double Ace_, a waitress with boobs the size of cantaloupes, with long flowing black hair, walked over to them, and asked cheerfully, "Hey, welcome to _The_ _Double Ace_. I'm Toni with an 'I', and just to let you guys know, all the seats are taken here tonight, so it's standing room only."

Mark, nodding his head, looked around a bit, and when he spotted who he was looking for, told the server, "Yeah, we got it from here, thanks."

Smiling, the girl reminded them that she was Toni with an "I", and walked off.

Escorting her over to a table, Stephanie saw the rest of the Ministry, all in regular clothes now, sitting around two booths, all with beautiful women frolicking around them, as they drank freely.

The moment they saw her, however, unlike in Houston, she was welcomed with "The champ is here!", along with other rousing applauses. Stephanie honestly thought that they were cheering for Mark for a moment, who had found him a seat next to a blonde, but Stephanie, after looking around, noticed that everyone was talking about her, to her complete mortification.

Blushing severely, Bradshaw, of all people, got up out of his seat, and offered it to Stephanie, massaging her shoulders as she went, asking her loudly, "What'll be champ? Beer? Whiskey? Tequila? Vodka? Rum? Brandy? Anything you want, it's not an order too big for the Knockout Champ here!"

Attempting to shoo him away, Stephanie couldn't believe that all of the sudden, after she slapped him no less, that he, and the rest of the Ministry, were smiling and laughing with her, not _at_ her?

Farooq, puffing on a cigar, with a blonde on his lap, as well, then said, "Now, I done seen a lot of ass kickings in my life, but that was one brutal, especially coming from you. You stepped up big tonight."

Not knowing exactly what to say, Stephanie said "Thanks" lowly.

Farooq, feeling her shyness, said, "Aww. Don't feel like that now. If she got her ass whooped, she just got her ass whooped, and since you handed it to her, well…" picking up his beer, he saluted her by taking a shot of it.

Stephanie was under the impression that after one got into a fight, that they were supposed to feel bad about it, which she did, but these guys were actually _congratulating_ her on fighting … and winning … against Ryan!

That's when Gangrel quipped, "Guess the "World's Most Dangerous" don't run in the family."

Everyone seemed to laugh about that, but Stephanie just found the whole experience ironic. Now she was a hero. Who knew?

Mark then asked Stephanie if she want something to drink or eat, and while she was admittedly hungry, she wasn't much of a drinker. She tried drinking, but it just wasn't her forte.

Telling her husband this, he called a waitress over, who was also very gorgeous, her striking Asian features easily making her supermodel material, to bring them over some appetizers, him a bottle of Jack, and Stephanie something light, like a beer.

As the waitress walked off, Stephanie whispered in Taker's ear, but loud enough for him, and the girl next to him, to hear over the loud music, "Babe, I'm not necessarily a drinker, you know, I just … don't."

As soon as he was about to answer her concerns, the blonde looked over at Stephanie, cutting her eyes, saying to a brunette, whom Stephanie hadn't noticed sitting between Edge and Mideon, nastily, "Barb, look at this. Beverly Hills over here thinks she's too good to drink with us."

"Oh, Lord, here we go again," Stephanie attempted to say mentally, but this time, it came out of her mouth audibly, the blonde and the brunette hearing every word she said.

The brunette, Barb, replied back, "Stacy, don't let Bel Air get to you. She's just here because her daddy and mommy are away on business out of town somewhere, so she brought her daddy's credit card to the bar in the hopes of fitting in. She ain't no regular. I'm pretty sure she still has a bed time."

Mark, noticing the way Stephanie was looking, leaned back into the booth, while Stacy wrapped her hand around him, whispering into his ear, "You need a real woman like me to take you home, don't ya? Me love you long time."

Stephanie, with everyone looking at her, expecting her to give this woman a piece of her mind, especially after her fight with Ryan earlier, suddenly slapped Stacy's arm from around Mark's shoulder, telling her not so nicely, "Listen, _skank_, if you want your arm, you better keep it off my husband."

Offering a hearty laugh, Stacy patted Mark in the shoulder and asked jokingly, "You … married … that? Ha! And here I was thinking your were a real man."

As the members of the Ministry dropped their mouths in shock, and as Mark turned around to her slowly, not taking anyone's insults lightly, Stephanie leaned over him before he could respond, saying irritatingly, "And here I was thinking you were a real whore. Hmm…I apologize. You're not a whore. You're just a bitch. My apologies."

The blonde, who looked as if she found a permanent home in the gym, suddenly stood up, asking Stephanie boldly, "You want to run that by me one more time?"

Stephanie, who was instantly caught off guard by the girl's muscular biceps, suddenly found a piece of inner McMahon that she didn't know existed, because she stood up too, almost nose to nose with the girl had Mark not been sitting between them, said loudly, "I said, you're a bitch!"

Stephanie's eyes were ablaze with fury. She didn't know what had come over her, but she was tired of being pushed and ran over. First she had to show Ryan, then Bradshaw, now she was having to take up for herself again. With neither woman making a move to back down, Bradshaw, who loved to see a good fight more than anything in life, tried to separate the two.

"Ladies, ladies, ladies, ladies," he said intervening. "Why we gotta do this, huh? Hey, no fighting tonight. Let's settle this another way."

Stacy, flipping her hair, said, "Yeah, let's settle it another way. Let's not do this _in here_, let's do this outside."

Steph, holding up her hands as if to say, "bring it on", was pulled down by Mark. One fight for her tonight was enough. He knew Stephanie could be as tough as nails when she wanted to be, after all, her last name was McMahon, but he didn't want her getting involved in anything she couldn't handle. He could fight until the cows came home, but she wasn't him, so there'd be no fighting tonight on her part.

Mocking her, Stacy, still beside Mark, quipped, "Oh, what's the matter? Daddy afraid you're gonna get your ass kicked?"

Mark, having enough of this woman in his ear, turned around and told her darkly, leaning in on her, "You know, I'm actually trying to do you a favor. I'd hate for this blonde crap to be spread all across the room."

Clearly skeptical, Stacy looked at him, rolling his eyes, saying, "Yeah, right."

That's when Farooq got a very bright idea, adding, "Ok, listen, how about this: instead of you two fighting it out, because anybody can get lucky on any night and kick somebody ass or get their ass kicked, how about you two _drink_ it out?"

That's when Stephanie's eyes got big and her gut told her to back off. She wasn't a drinker. She could barely stand the stuff. She had gone to a couple of wild high school and college parties, and only one bachelorette party in her lifetime, and she hated the taste of most alcohol. Even a wine cooler was rare for her.

As Stacy said, "Cool, bring it on," Stephanie looked at Mark, as if she was trying to tell him with her eyes, "Get me out of this mess."

Stephanie knew that she'd never win a drinking contest, at least not without divine intervention, and now that Farooq and Bradshaw, who were undeniable drinking kings, were ordering rounds of shots, Stephanie knew her time was running short. Mark, however, then bent over to whisper in Stephanie's ear: "If you don't win tonight, I'm going to fuck you to sleep."

Although Stephanie thought about losing now on purpose, she mentally decided to go along with this, against her better judgement, however. She didn't doubt Mark for a second about his threat for sexual misconduct.

As the drinks arrived, there was one tray with twenty four mini glasses of whiskey in each of them. Farooq laid out the rules: each girl would have twelve shots. Each time a shot was taken, it had to be swallowed completely, and the glass had to be turned faced down in order for the other girl to continue.

The first girl to down all of her shots without passing out, vomiting, or leaving the table would be declared the winner. Should either one of them make it to all twelve shots without passing out, then they'd go into sudden death, with each woman taking shot after shot until one couldn't possibly hold their liquor any longer.

Flipping a coin, Stephanie called heads, which is what the coin landed on. Stacy, looking over at Stephanie smugly, then told her, "I'm going to drink you under the table."

Stephanie, being a wise crack, then replied smartly, "You're just used to being under the table anyway."

As Stephanie picked up the glass from the table, looking all around, she pinched her nose like they did in the movies, and downed the drink, the taste almost making her gag, but she held it together. As she placed the glass flat down on the table, she then got a cheer from several people around her.

Then it was Stacy's turn.

As the girl picked up the tiny glass, she smiled wildly at Stephanie and said, "Bottoms up, bitch," before she downed the drink, turning the glass over with ease. Getting even more of an applause than Stephanie did, Stephanie picked a glass back up, looked over at Stacy, and tossed her head back. Suppressing a cough, Stephanie turned the glass back down again, but rudely burped in the girls' face, causing the people around them to scream in laughter.

As both of them went back and forth with each other, Stephanie didn't know how the other girl felt, but she felt absolutely sick to her stomach. Like about to vomit sick. Her vision was blurry and while she heard music and people around her, she didn't quite know where she was.

All she knew was she had one last shot glass in her hand, and she was struggling to get it to her lips. She had a will, despite the fact that she didn't know where it was coming from.

Attempting to sit up upright, almost tipping over at one point, Stephanie sat straight up, stiff as an ironing board, and slowly tilted the glass back to her lips. As soon as the liquor hit Stephanie's throat, the entire world went spinning around her. She didn't even have the know how to even place the glass upside down.

Leaning over the table, Stephanie attempted to look over at everyone, but it seemed as if everyone were meshing together.

Whatever she did next, people started cheering for her, slapping her on her back.

As she looked around groggily, she now realized that an enormous crowd had surrounded the table, larger than what she and Stacy started out with.

Looking down at her lap, her thoughts disorganized, Stephanie didn't even attempt look back up to see Stacy, who was drunker than a sailor, taking her last shot. All she heard immediately after the girl picked up the lone shot glass, was a loud thump, then people suddenly began applauding, slapping Stephanie on her shoulders, yelling that she had won.

Whatever Stephanie had won, she didn't feel like much of a winner. Everyone seemed to be speeding around her, and as she, for whatever reason, tried to stand up and walked away, she felt her legs buckle underneath her.

Feeling the strong arms of someone catching up, Stephanie looked up to see Mark carrying her.

Drunkenly, Steph told him, "You are one handsome shunofagun you know that, Mark Calaway?"

Looking down at his drunk wife, who wreaked of alcohol, Mark replied, "And you are one very drunk woman, Stephanie Calaway."

Giggling hysterically, Stephanie placed her head on Mark's chest as he carried her to a nearby seat. With his forefinger pointed in her face, Mark ordered "Do not get up from this seat. I'm going to pay out, understand?"

Steph, completely wasted, bit at his finger, watched as her husband walked off to the bar to pay their tab.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time and her body was floating. Nothing made sense to her at the moment. As Mark returned, he reached down to pick Stephanie's light body back up, but another brunette, who looked appalled that Mark was attempting to hoist her into the air asked appallingly, "Do I know you?"

Doing a double take, Mark looked around for Stephanie, leaving the other brunette speechless. Even though she was drunk, Mark had ordered Stephanie to not move, and she had.

It didn't take long to find her however, because as another crowd was forming in the center of the club, Mark saw Stephanie, drunk as a skunk, on the mechanical bull, bucking as the bull got faster and faster in speed.

While Mark was clearly dumbfounded, Bradshaw came up behind him, slapping him on the shoulders, saying, "I underestimated that girl, Mark! Looks like you've got yourself a real live one! Woo hoo! Go, Stephanie!"

As the bull swayed and bucked up and down with her, around the thirty second mark, Stephanie was bucked off, landing firmly on the mats below her. Getting up now, cheering for herself, along with other people, Steph was seemingly walking in any direction, but Mark reached out and grabbed her by her behind, asking irritatingly, "Didn't I tell you nicely not to move?"

Steph's response, however, was less than formal. "I gotta go pee." Rolling his eyes, Mark helped to escort Steph to the ladies room.

As they made their way to the ladies restroom, Mark gave Steph a little pat on the behind, sending her about her way.

After about ten minutes or so, however, Mark began to worry.

_"What in the hell is she doing? Does she have to install the stalls herself?"_

That's when Steph called out, "Baby … I … I need help with thing pwhease."

Looking all around him, Mark realized that although he had been in his fair share of women's restrooms before, this place was packed, and if he walked in, there'd probably be some broad running back out, calling the bouncer. He wasn't in the mood for another fight tonight, either.

"I can't … I can't get it a … a loose. I think it's stuck," Stephanie called out desperately.

Inhaling and exhaling deep, Mark made absolute certain that no one was inside other than Stephanie was in the restroom first, peeping around the door to hopefully not find any unsuspecting ladies inside of it. Walking inside the bathroom swiftly, Mark locked the door behind him, making sure that no one walked in on them.

"Where you at girl?"

"The stall, baby," Steph called out from inside.

Checking under each stall, he finally found the only stall that had a set of feet underneath. Casually opening the stall door, what Mark found was his drunken without the top of her jumper attached to the back of her neck. With her breasts exposed, her hair slightly all over her face, Mark hand immediately jumped to his chin, as he surveyed Stephanie's glowing body.

_"Breasts implants be damned," _he thought to himself lustfully.

He was definitely in the mood now… and so was Stephanie.

Walking into her husband, as Mark backtracked towards the sinks that were placed in front of the stalls, Stephanie teased, "I thought you said you were going to fuck me … _hiccup_ … to sleep?"

Backed entirely into the edge of one of the sinks, Mark replied the only way he knew how.

"Huh?"

Mark was rarely ever speechless, and this was one of the few times that he was. He knew a lot of women that enjoyed drunk sex, and personally, he did too, but, he wanted Stephanie fully operational, not drunk, when they had sex.

Sex with her was different. He equated drunk sex with one night stands. And Steph was no longer a one night stand; she was now his wife, so he attempted to avoid temptation as much as possible.

Steph, unsteady on her feet still, grabbed her husband by his shirt with her left hand, and began massaging his pecs underneath with her left, saying, "You said, you were going to fuck me until I went to sleep. Well…"

Going for Mark's neck, he semi-dodged her, but Steph grabbed him by his penis before he could fully get away from her. He honestly felt like the rodent in a cat and mouse game, and he definitely wasn't used to be that.

Massaging his penis through his pants, Mark tried to think of things that he knew wouldn't turn him on, like bunny rabbits, rainbows, and glitter, but the way Steph was working her hands around him was sending him into attack mode.

Reluctantly taking her hands out of his pants, Mark walked backwards from Steph, almost back into the stall, and said, "No, we can't do this here."

Smiling, loving how she was stalking him for a change, Steph pulled at Mark's shirt again, asked devilishly, "Why not? Huh? You … you scared?"

And with that, she pushed him so hard and so unexpectedly, he fell right onto the toilet. Eyes filled with amazement, not knowing what had come over her, Mark told Stephanie, as her hands flew to his fly, attempting to grab her hands, "Stephanie, stop!"

Looking up at him, honestly seeing three of him, Stephanie asked curiously, rubbing at his face, as Mark swatted her hands away, "Why? Shumbodie scared? You talked a big game … now you .. scared?"

Stephanie then took her tongue and licked the middle of her hand, and began massaging his penis, Mark suddenly rising further and further into her hand. As she was making him think re-contemplate sex, Steph leaned her head down and licked the top of Mark's penis head!

Mouth dry with utter amazement, Stephanie took her tongue and slowly licked from the top to the bottom of his shaft, making sure she wrapped her tongue around his penis as she came back up. Immediately putting his hands in her head, Mark couldn't believe what Stephanie had just done! He was never expecting that from her, of all people.

Of course, he was going to coach her into that over time, but he never expected her to actually give him a pre-cursor to head all on her own.

Standing up now and pushing the rest of her jumper past her knees, pulling her panties down in the process, exposing her fuzzy nether region, Stephanie asked, "Remember Texas?" before she sat firmly down on her husband's penis, letting it slowly fill her, as she clenched her muscles around him, lowering herself onto him with absolute precision, which was just about enough to drive Mark insane.

This time, Stephanie was in control. She was the hunter and Mark was the hunted.

Never having been on top like this, Steph leaned into her husband's neck and began sucking as if her life depended on it, as she bounced and down harshly, the sounds of her wet vagina meeting his rock hard rod reminding them both how horny Steph actually was for him.

A few weeks ago, Mark couldn't have dreamed of this, but now, his wife was on top of him, riding him for dear life, but now she was, and he found himself, against his better judgement, enjoying it all.

As he slapped on her ass, he pulled her hair back with his fists, and she continued to bounce, her back arched, her breasts bouncing up and down in his face as she continued to work his body. Mark, with his free hand, cupped her petite breasts into his hand, and began suckling it, coddling it, as Steph continued to bounce away on him, her screams easily heard from the outside now.

Picking her up and walking her over to the sink, Mark pumped into her, kissing her simultaneously, while sitting her bare ass on the edge of the sink. Pumping into her with longing, both of them turned their heads to the door once they heard the repeated beats upon it, but Mark, looking back at Stephanie, pumped his hips into her harder and faster!

Steph, semi-conscious, attempted to keep the sounds of their love making between them in the bathroom, but once he pumped into her again, harder, rougher, grabbing her hair and making her lean back, Steph heard an "Oh, God!" escape her lips. She wasn't even cognitive of her own words now. She was in the midst of passion; a wrongful right.

And since she started it, Mark was going to finish her. Keeping a fist full of hair, Mark kept pounding into her both slowly and deliberately, with each stroke, a very loud moan would escape her lips.

Talking to her now, Mark asked, "Whose this belong to?" and with his free hand, he tickled Stephanie's clit while he continued to pound inside of her, making her yell out this time!

Screaming "Yours", not caring if there were women who needed to empty their bladders on the other side of the door or not, Mark kept at it. Tickling her clit and poking at her pink fleshy insides, he then stuck the same finger that he had been fingering her with into Stephanie's open mouth, ordering her to "suck".

Noting the distinct taste, Stephanie sucked vigorously on his fingers, before he suddenly pulled out of her. Bending her over on the sink now, Mark smacked Stephanie's vagina, before he grabbed a handful of hair once again, this time with his right hand, while he lifted her left leg up off the ground, holding it around his waist, allowing himself better access into her.

Steph looked like a chicken wing. She was very exposed, and with her leg around Mark's waist, he went about slapping her slippery folds with the palm of his hand, the sounds reverberating around the room, as Steph continued to scream out in sexual bliss.

Steph couldn't even close her mouth because her hair was being pulled so tightly from the back, so all of the sounds coming from her were exceptionally loud.

Feeling herself on the brink of climax, Steph squeezed her vaginal muscles around Mark's penis. Holding onto her neck now with one hand, Mark moved his hips into her harder, his thrusts coming faster, and then a stream of warm jizz flowed into Stephanie's body, who at the same time came with her husband, her toes curling within her sandals, her nose tingling, and body going automatically limp.

Coming to her senses almost, however, still intoxicated, Stephanie, looking back at Mark, who had taken his shirt off, noted groggily that she was in some kind of bathroom now … and she kept hearing loud knocks coming the door.


	44. A Subtle Transformation

Everything around her was spinning. There seemed to be a pulsating light shining directly into her face, that was quite frankly blinding her, and she couldn't make it go away. Her head was throbbing with pain; it felt like she had been whacked over the head with a hammer. She was severely parched. And when she moved, the surface she was on felt like a sinking ship.

Moaning loudly, feeling like her head was about to explode, Stephanie tried to balance herself. It felt like she was walking on a sea of unsteadiness. Even though her throat felt on fire, her head was booming even worse. She didn't know where she was, she almost didn't know who she was, and with the room spinning all around her, Stephanie managed somehow to yell out, "Mark! Mark! Baby, please … help! … I think I'm dying!"

"You're not dying, just got a hangover," Steph heard a voice that seemed amplified times by a thousand.

Holding her head, but then suddenly grabbing back onto what she assumed was a bed, because it felt like she was honestly going to fall off, Steph moaned in agony.

Of all the times she had been sick throughout her lifetime, even coming down with the pneumonia once, she had never felt as sick as she was feeling now. The sickness in her stomach and pain in her head felt like she had been in another fight … and lost.

Feeling sympathetic for her, since he had a lot to do with her even having a hangover in the first place, Mark graciously drew the blinds to a close and sat Stephanie upright against his chest in the bed, which made her cry out lightly. Holding her head, Stephanie moaned, "No, no, no! I'm going to fall. Please, call the paramedics."

Rolling his eyes, almost wanting to laugh from Steph's blatant hysteria, since this was only her first hangover, Mark rubbed the side of Stephanie's temples while she leaned back into his chest, telling her, "You are one melodramatic ass woman."

Reaching over to the end table, Mark grabbed a glass, and while brushing Stephanie's wild hair out of her face, put the mouth of the glass to her lips, telling her to, "Drink this. You'll feel better in twenty minutes."

The moment Stephanie placed the liquids into her mouth, however, she wanted to spit it out, the taste nothing short of horrible! But Mark grabbed her head as she was about to spew whatever the funny tasting stuff was out of her mouth, forcing her head back, warning her, "Swallow. Swallow."

A lone tear fell down her face, and somehow she managed to force the evil tasting liquids down her throat, but she was still holding a glass full of whatever he was obviously trying to poison her with. Gagging, Stephanie coughed and asked with cracky voice, "What … is … this?"

Holding the glass for her now, Mark replied, "It's a tonic. Cure to get rid of a hangover. Learned how to make it in Japan. Makes you feel like a new person. Now, I'm going to hold your head back and I want to you swallow."

Attempting to shake her head, Stephanie had to grab it yet again, because the thought of tasting whatever was in that ever again in her lifetime coupled with her head spinning the way it was, obviously was going to be the death of her.

"No, please. I can't…"

Shrugging, Mark pushed Steph up lightly and said, "Ok. Stay like this _all_ day. You do know we're driving to San Francisco right, and um, it's a seven hour drive and the traffic is going to be horrible …"

Shaking her head in defeat, Stephanie leaned her head back and allowed the contaminants of whatever was in this little magic potion Mark had concocted; it was both breathtaking and disgusting. Feeling like she had to barf, Mark held her in place and made her swallow every last drop of the tonic.

After it was all down, Mark handed her another glass of cold water to wash it down with, which Stephanie gladly accepted.

After handing the glass back to her husband, Stephanie had to take a look around, and now that she seemed to be coming to her senses a bit, she finally realized that she was back inside their hotel room, however, she couldn't recall what had happened for her to prior to her hangover.

She knew that you had to consume alcohol to in order to even get drunk, but she couldn't remember much of anything. Moaning still, Stephanie heard the sound of water being ran, and felt her body being picked up off the bed. Walking into the bathroom with her, Mark, once inside, sat Stephanie down onto his lap while he rested on the lid of the toilet seat, removing her clothing.

With that tonic, a hot shower, and a hearty breakfast afterwards, Stephanie would be good to go.

Placing her in the shower, Mark proceeded to gently bathe his wife's naked body, holding her steady with one arm so she wouldn't accidentally fall. After washing her body thoroughly, Mark helped Stephanie back out, wrapping her up in a towel, and carrying her back to the bed. After drying her off and placing a t-shirt over her body, he walked with Stephanie into the dining area, where he sat her down and presented her with breakfast; an assortment of sunny side up eggs, bacon, a bagel with plenty of cream cheese spread on top, fried potatoes, and coconut water, which promptly woke Stephanie right up … and she didn't spare one bite.

She couldn't remember ever being this hungry ever in her entire life. After eating everything on her plate and downing the coconut water, Steph looked up to see mark staring at her while he rested on doorframe to the bedroom. Face blushing, Stephanie suddenly felt ashamed of herself. She had never been a drinker, and here she was, getting hammered in front of her husband?

Sensing something was troubling her, Mark asked from the bedroom door, "Something wrong?"

Steph couldn't even look him in the face. He probably thought she wasn't the woman he thought she once was, which was nothing short of embarrassing. Turning her head, Stephanie said, "I'm sorry," very lowly, so low in fact that she barely heard the apology escape her lips herself.

Walking over to her, and pulling her up to her feet, Mark asked again asked what was wrong, but once again, she wasn't able to truly say what she wanted to say. She was very disappointed in herself, and now she didn't know what her husband was going to think.

"Excuse me, I don't quite understand mime," Mark quipped, teasing her.

Shaking her head, Stephanie finally replied loudly enough, "I'm sorry."

Confused as to why she was apologizing to him, Mark asked, "And you're apologizing for …"

Sighing, Steph softly replied, "Mark, I had … _have_ … a hangover. You have to be drunk to get one of those … _these_, so apparently, I got wasted last night, and I just know I embarrassed myself. I don't even remember last night. All I remember is going to this club with you, and after that, everything's a blur."

Nodding, placing his hands on her hips, knowing she was mentally beating herself up, Mark reassured, "Look, don't worry about it, ok? You had too much to drink, big deal? You're not an alcoholic, it was your first time, you were with your husband, so don't sweat it."

Not understanding why he wasn't mad at her, after all, Vince himself would be pissed, especially after a show, partying with a bunch of men, no less, Stephanie asked curiously, "Why aren't you mad at me? I didn't embarrass you?"

Leaning his head down towards her, Mark replied, "No, you didn't. In fact, I don't think anyone, other than that girl who you out drank last night, and maybe Saphirra, are mad at you. You got a little bit carried away, I can take some of the blame for that too, but it was your first time, so take it easy on yourself. I'm not going to beat you."

Steph, looking up at Mark with a trying glare, replied back, "I know you aren't … and I out drank someone?"

Noting a change in pitch in Stephanie's voice, Mark said to her, "Where'd that _woman_ come from?"

Looking around, Steph, completely oblivious, asked curiously, "What woman?"

Chuckling at her innocence, Mark kissed the top of her head, replying only, "Nothing."

Shrugging Stephanie walked back into the bedroom, with Mark smacking her butt as she went.

The two then dressed with each other. Stephanie decided to go casual today. She straightened out her hair and wore it in a casual ponytail, while wearing a white WWF Attitude t-shirt, black shorts, and sneakers, while Mark opted for his usual all black ensemble; a short sleeve black button down, which he chose to leave unbuttoned, jeans, boots, bandana, and sunglasses.

As they were making their way downstairs to their awaiting rental car, Steph asked jokingly, "Who are you trying to impress? There are buttons on your vest, you know?"

Looking at her threw his glasses, popping the trunk to the car once they got outside, Mark asked nonchalantly, "I do? Maybe that chick behind the front desk would …"

Making a walking motion back into the hotel, Steph grabbed Mark around his arm, warning him, "Ah. Ah. Ah. Where are you going?"

Looking down at Steph holding his arm, Mark smiled and said, "Well, I gotta go impress …"

Attempting to walk off again, Stephanie playfully grabbed him again and pointed to the car. Smirking, walking to the driver side, Mark quipped, "I see you're over that hangover."

Once inside the car, the two began their seven hour drive to San Fran. Since it was about ten o'clock in the morning when they decided to leave, they wouldn't have much time to unwind once they made it to the next hotel.

The drive was very peaceful, however.

Stephanie loved California and took plenty of pictures, while Mark mostly talked on the car phone discussing business. As such, Stephanie heard all of his plans, including him talking about Austin and her mom, but she tried to tune much of the conversation out as possible.

They stopped for food again in between the drive and before long, they were in San Francisco. Steph always wanted to live in California when growing up, and in between the beautiful landscape that was San Diego and San Fran, she had a serious mind to move here … if she hadn't already decided to make a home in Texas.

The two were staying in a gorgeous high rise hotel that overlooked not only the majestic San Francisco Bay, but also the magnificent architectural design that was the Golden Gate Bridge.

Upon making it to their room, Steph was in utter amazement about how they were placed in a room directly in line with the Golden Gate Bridge, while Mark went about getting ready for the evening. He didn't have a match scheduled, however, the plan was to still to make people believe that Steph was being held against her will … and to keep a watchful eye out on any opposing talent.

After he and Steph showered together, Mark changed into regular clothes, all black again, while Steph decided to curl her hair and wear a black, floral sundress, which happily showed off her cleavage. She also painted her face with light blue eyeshadow and pink lipstick.

She also forwent a bra, in order to compliment the dress more, wanting to impress her husband. After putting on a pair of scrappy heels, the two, who didn't have time to lounge around, left again, driving straight to the Cow Palace.

The WWF usually didn't run a lot of shows in California, so when they did come to town, especially with the way the company had been performing as of late, translating to fans like never before, they were always running sold out events, and for that reason alone, Stephanie and Mark had to make it appear that their union was as real as possible.

Walking into the arena with his bag slung over his shoulder, Mark and Stephanie walked hand in hand with each other. Although they were both aware that everyone, from the superstars to the personnel had all eyes on them, Mark didn't take any liberties with Steph. He didn't drag her along, he wasn't hurting her, and he wasn't being mean to her, either.

All they simply did was hold each other's hand while they walked through the arena, and Steph appreciated the fact that he was giving her the initiative to her do her part on her own.

To ensure that she held up to her own end, however, when they did get around certain individuals, like Sgt. Slaughter, Stephanie began putting up a fight against Mark's extra hold, attempting to pull herself away from him, however, without any luck whatsoever, because he pulled her so hard back to him she stumbled right into his side again, where she comfortably settled, with Mark big left arm slung casually over her shoulder.

Going into the office that was always reserved for her father, there was once again a good assortment of bottled waters, meat and fruit platters, and even some wine on chill, for Vince, but seemingly he wasn't here. While Mark dressed for the show tonight, Steph wondered why, for the second night in a row, she hadn't seen her father.

Tonight marked a week since she had last seen Vince, and when she spoke to Linda the night before, she only would only say that Vince and Shane were home in Greenwich. Why? She thought for sure that Vince would be at the arena for Monday Night Raw, as he always was, but he wasn't, and that was rare. And while it was also rare for Vince to show up to house shows, she was still looking forward to seeing him.

She missed her family. No matter what Mark told her, she just couldn't truly just leave them behind. She wasn't that kind of person. He himself admitted that she still had a heart. Steph was just about to go out and press her luck and ask someone had they seen her mom or dad when the door to the office, without any warning, burst wide open!

Walking inside with his wrestling attire on, a black bandana tied backwards around his head, X-Pac, who didn't look to be in a good mood, said very shortly and to the point, "Hey, Steph, how you doing? Look, I need to see your husband and I need to see his dead ass right now."

Startled, not knowing exactly how to respond, Steph, looking up at X-Pac from the couch, retorted, "Well, he's … preoccupied at the moment. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Rocking back on his feet, X-Pac, nodding, looking furious, said, "Yeah, you're a McMahon. Yeah, you can help."

Holding up a finger, X-Pac looked down at Stephanie and began listing off with his hands, "One, you can get your husband out here. Me and him got a little business to discuss. I want an explanation about why he booked me against my own damn tag team partner and the Big Show last night. We're going to really see who really has em and who doesn't. And two, I want a match against the Big Show, one one one, next Monday night. Trying to play me like I'm weak? That ain't just gonna work and I'll tell you something else Steph …"

Before X-Pac could get any further, Taker, from out of nowhere, hit X-Pac in the back of the head with a big right hand! X-Pac, who immediately fell to one knee, was then flipped over by Taker, who assaulted him even more, choking him with his left hand, while his right hand to work on his face!

Stephanie, who was in shock, looked on at the mayhem from the couch, as Taker continued to demolish X-Pac! As he got back up on his feet, pulling X-Pac up with him, Taker, with his bare fists alone, had busted the young stud wide open, blood trickling down his face. Just as Taker was about to give him another shot to the head, infuriated that X-Pac had come into he and his wife's office unannounced and uninvited, Stephanie, grabbing Taker by the arm, stopped him from pounding on the young man further. "No, no, no, baby, don't do this. No."

Dropping a limp X-Pac back onto the ground, Taker, with that distinct look in his eye, was told by Stephanie, who was holding him by both arms now, looking back down at the fallen and bloody X-Pac with a glimmer of evil shining through them, who smirking naughtily, "No, let him make it. Let him make it to Monday night."

Noting that change in her voice again, Taker, looking up at his wife, then back down at X-Pac wickedly, simply dragged X-Pac back to his feet, before he opened the office door, and threw him back outside into the hallway onto a table, where several superstars, Brian Christopher, Scott Taylor, and Steve Blackman, had all convened, making the superstars scatter from X-Pac's incoming body!

Pulling his gloves he had put on back up around fingers, looking at the other wrestlers menacingly, Taker yelled out, "Now! One of you sons of bitches get this boy some medical help."

As everyone bent down to attempt to help the decimated X-Pac, who had blood streaming down his face, looking back up and down from Taker to X-Pac, Stephanie came out into the hallway, as well, wrapping her arm around her husband's waist, and as they were walking backed into the office, Steph turned around, wriggling her fingers, saying, "Bye boys. And, um, good luck on your matches tonight," before shutting the door to the office finally.


	45. Angel's No Angel

As the Acolytes were meeting Mankind and Ken Shamrock in tag team action at the Cow Palace, Taker's ominous music filled the arena, and the thousands of fans who were in attendance stood to their feet, to see the arrival of the one and only Phenom.

Feeling Taker's dark presence, the action suddenly stopped in the middle of the ring. As Taker walked into the entrance, holding Stephanie strongly by her wrist, who gave off the appearance that she was struggling against Taker's grip, Shamrock, who was yelling at Taker, didn't notice that Bradshaw was right behind him. When he turned around, he got hit with a huge Clothesline from Hell, flipping Kenny almost inside out! As the ref counted 3, Mankind ran in for the save, but it was too little too late; the Acolytes were the victors.

Trying to fight off Mankind, Bradshaw ending up becoming a victim of the Mandible Claw! As he began to quickly fade out, Taker left Stephanie at the top of the entrance, walking menacingly to the ring. As Mankind opened and closed his hand at the prospect of once again doing battle with his old foe, Taker climbed up on the ring ropes, and just as he was about to get inside, Farooq clubbed Mankind in the back, as Taker eased back from the apron, walking back onto the entrance. Back in the ring, Farooq whipped Mankind into the ropes, and attempted to execute some sort of maneuver on the demented soul, but Mankind stuffed two fingers under his tongue, as well, causing the crowd to go into a frenzy!

Now that Shamrock was back up to his feet, however dizzy, he found himself going into that dangerous zone once more! Screaming, as Mankind removed his two fingers from his mouth, Shamrock tripped Farooq by the leg, and trapped him in his ankle lock submission! Bradshaw, who had rolled to the outside of the ring, then pulled Shamrock forcefully by the leg, causing Kenny to momentarily loose his bone bending grip around Farooq's ankle.

As Mankind attempted to rush over for the save, Farooq rolled out of the ring, limping back up the rope, while Bradshaw, pointing back at the two new allies in the ring, holding his jaw, promised that they hadn't seen the last of the Acolytes. And although Shamrock and Mankind had technically lost the match, the two men were the ones in the end who stood victorious in the ring.

* * *

><p>For the rest of the night, Mark and Steph stayed in the hotel room and enjoyed each other's company. They ordered take out from a local Chinese restaurant and sat around watched movies together on HBO. It wasn't even about sex, either. It was about connecting with each other and getting to know one other better.<p>

They learned what kind of movies each other liked and disliked. Stephanie was appalled that Mark didn't have any desire in wanting to see _Jawbreaker _or_ Cruel Intentions_, whereas Stephanie hated the idea of sitting through a bunch of horror movies like Halloween. They also learned what kind of foods each other liked and disliked.

For whatever reason, Mark had a inane fear of cucumbers, while Stephanie called herself a "food aficionado", willing to try almost anything once.

They talked about the future of their marriage. Mark made no bones about it: although he respected Vince, he didn't like him as a person. Mark did feel, however, that they could one day sort out their issues and even become friendly with each other again, as they once were in the past, but until that day came, they would still be on the outs, and Steph both respected and acknowledged Mark's sentiments.

Quite frankly Vince had stepped on a lot of toes in the business, and one of them had been Mark's, who believed that Vince was purposely holding him back from becoming the WWF Champion the year prior. Other than desire, Stephanie didn't even understand how guys like Austin, whom Vince had made life miserable for, stayed in the company. She was positive that companies like WCW were just itching to get a guy like Austin back on their team.

They also talked about Linda's interference on Monday Night Raw. Mark was still highly upset that Linda had spoiled his plans to become WWF Champion yet again, and had also blatantly disrespected him as one of the new majority shareholders of the company.

Steph, however, argued that Linda had helped her father build the dynasty that was the WWF, so she was passionate about what she saw as far as programming was concerned. She was also a very right is right and wrong is wrong kind of person, while Vince on the other hand wasn't, which is why she more than likely put herself in the middle of he and Austin's affairs on Monday.

In any event, the two agreed to disagree about the issue of her parents, but did come to an agreement, with that being, from time to time, Steph would be allowed to communicate with her family. She was still hoping that Linda, or more soothingly, Vince, would be at the show come Monday, so she could update them on her well-being and how she allegedly was still going to take Mark to the cleaners once she divorced him.

Steph knew that Mark could be downright evil and cruel, but she was convinced that this persona people saw of Mark was his professional one and not his personal character. People didn't get the chance to see the true Mark Calaway outside of the ring like she had. Hopefully, when all the dust was settled and their little plan was over and done with, she could change all that.

The next day, the two decided to go leisurely shopping before they took a late flight back to Houston. They shopped for a little bit of everything, and a couple of people noticed Mark from TV and got his autograph. They even asked Steph for her's, as well, and as usual, Steph poured it on thick, making it appear that she was in some sort of distress, going as far as asking Mark for his "permission" before she went ahead with signing it. Nodding, Stephanie was "allowed" to give the fan the autograph, and she also posed for a picture, although she didn't look as happy as she generally would.

After shopping and dining, Stephanie and Mark headed back to the hotel to pack, but made sure to "Christen" their hotel room before they left for good.

The wonderful feeling that Stephanie felt whenever she was with Mark made her practically glow all over. And that feeling carried over all the way to the airport and back home to Houston.

Spending time with Mark is what Stephanie seemingly lived for now, but she was also happy to be back to see her babies, Zeus and April. Zeus was especially happy that at least Mark was back, as he could finally get some attention.

Later in the day, after unpacking and unwinding, they chose to go out for dinner again, this time with two of Mark's closet friends, Meagan and John and Kristen and Kevin. Mark and Kevin had known each other for years and and Mark and John became friends after John customized a few of Mark's bikes. And it felt good for Stephanie to finally get to meet some of the people on the inside who weren't necessarily associated with wrestling.

They had fun, ate, drank, and even spoke openly about marrying "the right way" again. Steph, being Mark's wife now, was even "initiated" into the group by doing a round of shots. She found that familiar buzz that she was feeling the other night, but not to the extent of feeling completely sick, either.

In the end, Stephanie found herself once again settling into her new reality nicely, her old one slowly slipping away.

* * *

><p>"Let me just tell you one thing, ok. You keep playing with my heart like this, keep seeing people outside of our marriage, and I'll …."<p>

"You better keep your voice down, " a hard whisper from a very paranoid female voice said.

Clearly agitated, the female voice then asked, "What? What? What are you going to do … Shannon, you know? I ca not believe that you actually came here to my place of business, to my job, my _real_ job, and did this. Do you not realize people are born with ears?"

"Oh, so are you insinuating that I don't have a 'real' job, now?", Shannon asked. The husband of Angel, Shannon stood about five feet, six inches tall. He had spiky brown hair, and he was quite furious at his wife, who was looking out the expansive window out into the Houston cityscape, her back turned to him.

"Did I say you didn't have a 'real' job? No, but let's not act like you are necessarily carrying the load, Shannon. You aren't. I am," Angel said harshly, turning to face her husband.

Shannon, clearly not buying into his wife's claims, rolled his eyes and retorted, "Yeah, because you're a lawyer to a bunch of weirdos."

Angel, who then sat in her leather creme overstuffed swivel chair, couldn't believe that of all days, her husband Shannon was here, in her office, yet again, complaining about their marriage, or lack thereof.

Truth be told, Shannon wasn't cutting the mustard for Angel in their marriage anymore. She liked having the option of seeing other guys on the side. Shannon knew what kind of woman she was before they got married, which is why Angel couldn't figure out why her husband was suddenly so upset now.

He became defensive at the slightest things now. He would question why Angel would come home sometimes at four in the morning, he would pop up at her job out of the blue, as he had done today, and had even tried to suggest that the couple seek counseling, which Angel was heavily against. She worked hard enough as it was, and she didn't need some quack telling her what was wrong in her marriage.

She was a whore; she knew this and accepted this, and she thought Shannon did, as well. Unfortunately, after a decade of marriage, Shannon had seemingly forgotten about this little fact.

Smirking, rolling a $1,500 Mont Blanc pen through her fingers, Angel replied, "Oh, so I guess you call being the legal representative for a host of professional athletes, from the MLB, NBA, NFL, all the way to the WWF, 'weird' is supposed to hurt my itty bitty fweelyings now, huh?

"Look," Angel added deeply now, abandoning the baby talk. "All you are doing is fishing for something, and I just wish you'd just say what it is that you have to say so you can get out of my office already."

"What I want to say is this: I'm tired of you cheating on me. I know you're seeing people behind my back …"

"Duh."

"…And I want it to stop. Today is the day. Who is it? Your boss, Richard? The owner of this practice? Maybe the Houston Chronicle would like to hear this little juicy piece of gossip, and who better to feed it to them than the scorned husband of one of the biggest attorneys this city has ever seen?"

Smirking still, clearly unfazed by her own husband's threat to out her as an adulterer, Angel shook her head silently, before finally saying, "You know I'm like James Bond: I don't like my men single. Now, this is the final time that I will ask nicely: either leave politely or be thrown out by security. I'd hate to cause a scene, but I will press this little button here …"

"Fine!" Shouted Shannon, clearly frustrated by his wife's lack of answers as to why she continued to cheat on him and treating him the way that she did.

"But let me tell you something before I go, _Angel_: when I get home I'm…"

"… going to cook dinner like the good little househusband you are?" Angel asked mockingly, openly smiling at the fact that her husband just couldn't figure her out.

It was a certain power she held over his head. She loved the fact that she was the one only person to hold all the keys to Shannon's sanity locked away in an impenetrable box.

Pointing his finger at her again, about to say something, a small voice came from over the telephone. "Mrs. Scott?"

Looking up at her husband still, smirking devilishly, Angel, pressing her finger against a red button on her office telephone, without taking her eyes off her husband, answered quaintly, "Yes?"

"Mr. Mark Calaway is here to see you. Should I send him into your office?" asked the lovely voice from the receptionist.

"That'll be wonderful, Jill, thanks. Yes, please do send _Mr._ Calaway into my office. We have a little _business_ to discuss."

"Yes, Mrs. Scott."

Pointing his finger back at Angel, Shannon spoke with pure anger rising from his voice. He was sick of his wife seeing every guy she could get her hands on, and he went about warning her for the very last time, "If you so much ever put your lips on another man again, so help me God …"

"Don't swear to God, Shannon, because you know what? I am God. And you don't have the balls to threaten me," Angel said very articulately, making sure she sneered at the end of her statement.

Shannon, having heard and seen enough disrespect from his own wife for one day, slowly began walking forward to her, but a knock on the door interrupted his plans. Angel, who was still staring at her husband, answered boldly, "Come in."

As Mark walked inside, he immediately felt the tension in the air between the duo.

"Is this a bad time?" he asked curiously. He didn't want to be a witness to any kind of scene, therefore he offered to leave.

Waving him inside, Angel, pulling down her skirt as she stood up, said, "No, no, no, Mark, come in, come in. Of course, you know my husband, Shannon. Shannon, this is Mr. Mark Calaway. You two met at that dinner that was held in my honor last year, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, good to see you again, man," Mark said shaking the man's hand, suddenly realizing that this _was_ Angel's husband standing before him.

On the night of Angel's dinner last year, Mark had hardly even spoken two words to him; he was too busy undressing his wife in one of the spare bedrooms.

As Shannon greeted Mark again, Mark looked over at Angel, who was rolling her eyes at this scene. Angel was a bitch, no doubt about it, but she had a pretty mean bark, and when she was handling business, she packed an even vicious bite, which is why Mark employed her services.

They had occasionally done a rendezvous over the past five years since they had known each other, but nothing major. To both of them, it was just sex, maintenance sex. They had to work each other over to get the kinks out, and that's how they preferred their relationship, both professional and personal.

Breaking up the awkward exchange, Angel came from around her desk, and said, "Well, Shannon, baby, I hate to cut our little thing off here, but Mr. Calaway and I have some most urgent business matters to attend to."

Ushering him into the door, Angel added, "I'll see you tonight, ok, hun?"

Offering him a weak peck on the cheek, Shannon offered one last warning glance, as Angel literally pushed him out of her office.

Turning back around, recomposing herself, Taker, who was wearing a black leather biker jacket, blue jeans, and bandana, was immediately scolded by Angel. "Well, you look all dressed for your business meeting. No need to wear a suit and tie at all."

Shrugging, Mark sat down in an overstuffed chair that was facing Angel's desk, but happily admired, as Angel walked back to her seat, just how damn good she looked. She was wearing an open black suit jacket, dark green blouse, black skirt, with matching black hosiery, and black pumps. She wore her hair in a pinned up high bun with two braids on the side, and her favorite shade of red lipstick was glistening off her pucker.

Again, Mark was hot for her, but then he looked down at his ring finger. Noting the wedding band on his hand, Mark tried to recount when was the last time he ever thought about something twice before doing it.

Most of the time, because he was who he was, he didn't have to deal with repercussions. He honestly just did whatever it is that he wanted to do, but now, he was having second thoughts about getting it on with Angel, and this wouldn't even be their first time having sex in her office, either.

Taking his brain out of his pants for a moment, Mark looked back up and said, "As the new majority shareholder of the WWF, I think I can dress anyway I see fit."

Sipping her Starbucks, leaving her lipstick stain on the cup, Angel looked over at Mark and said, "It still would be nice if you actually showed that you cared … about anything … in life … once."

"Like you care about pissing off your husband?"

"Like you care about Ms. Stephanie?"

"You mean Mrs. Calaway?"

"If only for the time being."

Sniffing, taking obvious offense, Mark asked, "And what in the hell is that's supposed to mean?"

Knowing that she had riled him up, Angel proceeded in saying, "It means exactly what I said it means. If only for the time being. Mark, let's face facts. I'm a bitch. I know that. You know that. Everyone knows that. Mark, you're evil. I know that. You know that. Everyone except Little Miss Sunshine knows that. I saw the way she was hugging you at your house after you chased off Dean and Matthew with the invincible Zeus, and I thought to myself, 'This woman is crazy.' You kidnapped her, twice I might add, you strapped her onto a symbol, on national television, forced her into marrying you, and yet, she's hugging _you_? If anything, all you would have gotten from me was a swift kick to the balls, not a hug."

"I'm still trying to see your point."

"My point is, Mark: you can't be trusted. Hell, you can't even trust yourself. I have received about fifty, if not more, phone calls in the last seventy two hours from all sorts of attorneys. Attorneys for Mr. Williams, aka, Steve Austin, attorneys for Mr. Wight, aka the Big Show, the WWF's attorneys, all of them complaining about … hmmm … Mark Calaway."

Mark, obviously letting Angel's tongue lashing go in one ear and out the other, looked on at her, while she continued to speak, but nothing seemed to be resonating with him.

"How you intentionally caused Mr. Wight to receive twelve staples, _after_ you knocked him in the head with a baseball bat, and oh, the coup de grace, you purposely tried to re-injure Mr. Austin's neck, _after_ his accident with Owen Hart only two years prior. The WWF is scared shitless that you're going to permanently injure one of their money makers. I have tried in vain to assure them that all of your actions are only your new efforts as the new majority shareholder to make the show a bit more compelling for the audience, but who in the hell is buying that? I say all that to say: you're going to eventually run her off. You're going to hurt her, if not physically, as well as emotionally, and you're going to be all by your lonesome once again. I think that's pretty much a guarantee."

Taking the time to look around her office for a moment, Mark looked back at his attorney and asked, "You done yet? Look, don't worry about me and Stephanie. Everything is good between us. You just worry about these lames coming in here offering me a better deal for my share of this company, got it? Cause as far as I can tell, you're going to be running your old man off quicker than I'm going to be running my old lady off, _Mrs_. Scott."

As the attorney and client stared a hole into each other, Jill, the receptionist, called back onto Angel's phone, "Mrs. Scott? We have Christopher Phillips, Harry Benfer, and Jennifer Tucker, all from the World Wrestling Federation, here to see you."

Looking at Mark with contempt in her eyes, Angel simply stared at her client, as Jill phoned in again.

"Mrs. Scott? Mr. Phillips, Mr. Benfer, and Mrs. Tucker from the World Wrestling Federation are all here to see you, ma'am."

Finally, Angel, pressing her finger against the red button on her phone again, replied, "Yes, sorry about that Jill. Send them in please."

Before long, Angel was receiving a knock on her door. Getting up to open it, she gave Taker a cold stare, before she put on her game face back on, opening the door and greeting, "Gentlemen, and lady, it's so pleased to finally meet you all. I'm Angel Scott, it's so good to finally meet you all. Please, enter, enter."

As the attorneys walked into her office, all of them were quite wary of Mark's huge frame sitting in the chair, none of them wanting to get close to a man whom they had all witnessed on video do the vile and strange things he had done to people over the past few months. And if that wasn't enough to scare them almost out of their clothing, when Angel introduced them all to Mark, he didn't even stand up to greet them. He continued to sit in his seat and only offered them a glance from the side.

Angel, noting that Mark wasn't going to be entirely cooperative, then offered, "Well, I initially assumed that there would be enough room in here to accommodate all of us, but apparently, it doesn't appear to be. Why don't we all walk down the hallway here to the executive boardroom, where we'll be comfortable?"

As everyone walked out of the office, passing by other offices of attorneys, and even a huge open library, on their way to the boardroom, Mark couldn't help but to stare at Angel's perfectly formed ass. She was a looker, no doubt about it, but as he kept looking, he honestly didn't feel any desire or lust for her as he normally did.

Usually when he saw her, they'd end up having sex within the first few minutes, but today was different. He didn't feel anything for her, and that honestly felt unnatural to him. Not wanting to rack his brain too much about the situation, Mark walked into the boardroom last after everyone was getting seated. Angel sat at the head of the table, with Mark sitting directly next to her on her right side, while the other three attorneys sat directly across from him.

Smiling, opening a portfolio, Angel, began the discussion by asking, "Well, everyone, how was the flight over from Connecticut? I hope there wasn't too much turbulence. I've heard on the news this morning that winds on that part of the country are unusually high for this time of season."

As all of the WWF attorneys looked around to each other, the oldest, Mr. Benfer, said sternly however, "Um, the plane ride was nice. Thanks, but, we're here to discuss business with Mr. Calaway, so if you don't mind …"

Almost taken aback, Angel smiled very fake like, and said, "Mmm. I see. Well then, we're here today to discuss my client's new ownership of the World Wrestling Federation, his majority stake within the company, and his rights as an owner, correct?"

Adjusting his glasses, looking at Mark who had his arms folded up in his biker jacket, Mr. Benfer shook his head and replied, "Yes, however, there has been a small change of plans, Mrs. Scott, and with all due respect, we would like to speak to Mr. Calaway very frankly for a moment, if you don't mind, of course."

Opening her arms, welcoming the discussion, Angel said, "No, no. By all means, be my guest. Mark, you agree right?"

Sucking his teeth loudly, Mark let out a lonely "Yep", before Mr. Benfer verbally began to lay into him.

"Mr. Calaway, on behalf of Mr. Vincent Kennedy McMahon, the World Wrestling Federation, and its board of directors, we find it absolutely abhorrent how you have singlehandedly diminished the brand equity that Mr. McMahon, his late father, and Mr. McMahon's late grandfather have long achieved and strived for. We find it absolutely atrocious that you have reduced this company to being the laughing stock of the sports entertainment industry.

Your crude business practices, physically asserting your dominance over whomever you deem weaker than you, by bribing, conning, and manipulating, among other ungodly attributes, the majority intangible assets of this company away for its leader, Mr. Vince McMahon, who has managed this company for more than two decades now, is absolutely intolerable and inexcusable, and we are here today, to offer you some sort of financial compensation, in order for Mr. McMahon to rightfully once again own this fine company within his legal rights once again, which is something a man of your caliber surely does not know anything about."

Clearly not afraid of Mr. Benfer's use of big words, Mark, who graduated high school himself, asked quite frankly, "Ok, yeah, you done? Just talk business or you won't be talking business at all. I'm sure a man of your caliber doesn't know anything about that, but I can surely introduce you."

Taken aback, the only female of the trio, Mrs. Tucker, an older woman who looked to be more of an old school teacher than an attorney, finally spoke up, as Mr. Benfer, after Taker's blatant threat stumbled to find his wording.

"Mr. Calaway," Mrs. Tucker started, with an accent similar to that of British Columbia, stated, "After much research and discovery, and after speaking to both Matthew and Dean, whom you've previously met with, we are inclined to make you an impressive offer, if I do say so myself, in exchange for Mr. McMahon's stake within the company.

Today, we offer you: first, a severance package of precisely $1.5 million dollars, that shall be held in escrow by an impartial third party levee corporation, which shall be released immediately and in its entirety to the banking institution of your discretion, once the terms of the exchange of stock have been unreservedly fulfilled. Secondly, a new contract, one of which is extended until the year 2009, will be immediately drawn up, as well, continuing to make you the most unequivocal tenured member of the wrestling roster.

Thirdly, this new contract will both ensure and guarantee that if your retirement shall come any time, before or after the year 2009, unless with the exception of death or physical distress, which has rendered you either incapable of impartial or partial physical bodily movements, mental paralysis, etc., that you will hired for a minimum of five years by the World Wrestling Federation, acting within a prevalent backstage presence, which includes, but is not limited to, road agent, trainer, booker, or any similar career choice.

Those are the new benefits we hope we can come to some sort of agreement on with you today, Mr. Calaway. So, if you could just sign right here."

Sliding Mark a pen and a contract with three "X's" outlined on it, the three attorneys watched as Mark looked at the three legal stooges for Vince and the company back, and without so much as a blink on his part, he picked up the contract and tore it into pieces, before he not so politely said, "Nope."

Not fully understanding Mark position in ripping up the document, and quite frankly appalled by his actions, Mrs. Tucker asked bewildered, "Excuse me? Do you know what you have done? You have destroyed …"

"Yeah, I know what I destroyed. You ain't gotta remind me, I just did it. And it didn't have what I wanted. So…"

Picking up the straps of paper and throwing them in the direction of the three attorneys, Mark looked on at them with a look that suggested that he was the wrong one to piss off on that day.

Angel, once again shocked that things had gone in the wrong direction so quickly, then tried to quell the sure onslaught of verbal barrages that were surely to follow.

"Please, please, everyone, let us please settle down and try to talk all of this over rationally…"

"You can't possibly talk over anything 'rationally' with this brute of a man!" Mr. Benfer reprimanded. Then, pointing his finger at Angel, he almost shouted, "And you, we asked you nicely to have this meeting in Connecticut. This is the second time we've requested a meeting within the safety and security of the World Wrestling Federation's office quarters, and yet, once again, you failed to see things our way, and look what has happened! And you call yourself an attorney?"

Closing her eyes, mentally counting to ten, Angel could feel her frustration mounting.

Out of the near decade that she had been practicing law, she had never lost her cool, not even once, but today, with Shannon coming into her office unexpectedly, Mark not giving a damn as usual, and those three attorneys making her blood boil to a fever pitch, she almost did, but, she calmed herself, and resumed being the consummate business professional.

"Again, I apologize for the inconvenience, however, whether or not we had this little discussion in Houston or Greenwich in honestly neither here nor there. What you three fail to realize is the fact that my client, Mr. Calaway, is unsatisfied with the list of 'benefits' you have presented him with today, and in order for Mr. Calway to even consider exchanging his ownership of the company back to Vince, he wants more."

Finally, the third attorney, Mr. Phillips, who hadn't said a word up until that point, asked while his two partners still remained in shock, "Well, Mrs. Scott, Mr. Calaway, what do you propose we do to rectify this situation?"

Upset that Mr. Benfer had spoken to her the way that he did, Angel offered, "I see you three still aren't getting the picture, so here goes: in the most basic terms, my client is willing to take you three up on this newest offer, if and only if, you can also assure two things: one, in no way, shape, nor fashion, will Vince McMahon, the World Wrestling Federation, or any equivalent person or persons, ever have or seek legal ramifications against Mr. Calaway, for any reason whatsoever, especially for this whole debacle over who owns the company and who doesn't. And that includes the life of his tenure as a World Wrestling Federation employee, and immediately after his employment with the World Wrestling Federation is terminated, for whatever reason."

Looking at each other wildly, the three attorneys were almost at a loss for words, as Angel continued.

"Two, Mr. Calaway wishes to become the highest paid member of the active roster. That includes surpassing the contract of Mr. Williams and Mr. Wight. Mr. Calaway plays a very active and successful role within this company, which he has stayed loyal to for eight plus years now, especially in light of having very compelling overtures from the likes of the World Wrestling Federation's most prominent competition, World Championship Wrestling."

Just then, Mrs. Tucker was about to speak again, but Angel, ever razor tongued, offered one final warning.

"Now, if these two demands, along with the other three demands that Mr. Calaway has specifically made aren't met by July 31,1999, then the only way that Vince McMahon will ever see his stock of this company ever again is if he can repurchase the share or shares that Mr. Calaway will begin to sell starting effectively on August 1, 1999, to the highest bidder or bidders, whomever shall come first, and trust, he plans to sell for dirt cheap, so they'll be plenty of WWF to go around for everyone. Hell, I might even buy me a share or two. The choice is absolutely yours. Choose very wisely."

Mr. Benfer, who was both blue and red in the face, as if he was being deprived of oxygen, then stood up, yelling, "How dare you threaten us? Do you know who we are? Do you know what we are capable of doing? If you don't, let me reassure you that my colleagues and I are more than capable, along with the board of directors, of initiating a hostile takeover.

Mr. Calaway, we also have little tricks up our sleeves, as well, which will ensure in all righteousness that you won't get away with this little stunt of yours, tricks like buy-sell agreements, ever heard of those? There are a multitude of different ways we could force you to sell Mr. Calaway, and you won't see a dime. You'll be in jail for all your egregious actions, and then what? You have to realize that you can not play and win against the machine. _We_ are the machine. Now, I will ask you nicely again: sign this document, _or_ you will be _forced_, and I mean forced, out of this company in which we speak."

Mark, leaning back into his seat, began laughing uncontrollably, as if he was in full Undertaker character, his true satanic and demonic demeanor rearing its ugly head. He knew that alone would scare the life out those three attorneys.

In fact, Mr. Phillips, who hadn't said more than a peep this entire meeting, was holding his suit jacket, leaning sideways in his chair, looking absolutely petrified, while Mrs. Tucker looked on astoundingly as Mark continued to howl maniacally. Grabbing the cross of Jesus around her neck, Mrs. Tucker mumbled out, "Dear, God," while Mr. Benfer fell back into his seat, looking on amazed, as well.

As Mark finished laughing, he looked sat up straight, nothing but a grimacing frown scorching his face. He let them know this, "And if you attempt to force me out, just Mark,_ I_ married Stephanie. And if you think she's going through hell now …" Chuckling evilly, Taker then said, "Just imagine. All that bad press. Stephanie gone forever. Me in jail. Vince in some mental institution because he can't cope wit the guilt. And you three out of a job, banned from showing your face in the legal world. That works fine for me."

Eyes wide with fear and stupefaction, Mr. Benfer sat in his chair stiff necked and said, "You go too far!"

But Mark, shaking his head, replied darkly, "No, I don't think I've gone far enough."

Suddenly lunging out of his seat, Mark grabbed the elder man by the necktie, using it as if Mr. Benfer was a fish, his tie being the line and hook. Pulling him towards him over the table, the other two attorneys scattering to the far side of the room, scared for their own safety and protection, Mark pulled Mr. Benfer nose to nose with him, and told him, while pointing a finger in his face, saying darkly, "Now you tell Vince this: either he gives me what I want or I'll make damn sure that he never sees his little girl again. Get it done."

Pushing Mr. Benfer back into his seat, the man hastily grabbed his briefcase, and he along with Mrs. Tucker and Mr. Phillips literally ran out of the boardroom!

Putting her hands in her head, shaking it rapidly, Angel simply sat back in her seat, and looked at Mark. This man had lost his temper again!

She wanted the attorneys to be afraid, to go back and tell Vince what happened today, since she knew from the very beginning that those three weren't there to discuss Mark being the new majority shareholder of the company, however, assaulting an officer of the court was not a wise decision on Mark's part, and she knew that that very move could jeopardize everything them.

Speaking from her hands, Angel said blankly, "Well, I hope you're satisfied."

Looking back at Angel, who still had her head down, Mark, furious that those people weren't planning on taking his demands seriously, he turned around to Angel and said, "No, not yet I'm not. I won't be satisfied until I get what I want."

Losing her temper now, Angel said, "Yes! I know! I know! It's you! It's all about _you_! Never mind the consequences, fuck the repercussions that could come behind all this, not to mention my reputation as _your_ attorney being put at stake because I have a maniac for a client, never mind all that! As long as _you_ get what _you_ want, we're all good, aren't we?"

Looking into the ceiling, Mark was frustrated. He was sick of Vince and everyone else resisting his authority, he wanted to be the WWF Champion, and he was tired of Angel hounding him about every single thing that he did.

Getting up from her own seat now, walking to stand in front of Mark, who had taken a seat on the table, Angel said seductively, "If you would just do what I told you to do," as she wrapped her arms around his neck, before unbuttoning the fastening of her shirt, exposing the cups of her silky smooth breasts inside a black lace bra. "You wouldn't be in this situation. You really need to start listening to me."

Placing his hands on her hips, kneading them in his hands, Mark asked the hazel eyed seductress, "Listen to you, huh?"

Kissing Mark affectionately on the neck, leaving behind a very visible stain, Angel continued, "Exactly. Listen to me. You do know we could be a power couple, right?"

Working his hands up the sides of her stomach, then massaging her breasts within his hand, pulling the fabric down to expose her large brown areolas, Mark asked huskily, "Power couple, huh?"

Hiking her leg up around Mark's waist, exposing her black panties from underneath her skirt, Mark reached a finger over the crouch of her extremely wet panties. As Angel moaned out in lust, saying, "Yeah, get rid of that little girl you call a wife and we could actually run things, you know?"

Running his nose over neck, which smelled exactly like Chanel No. 5, Mark continued to tease Angel through her panties, making her bite her lips, her center dripping with anticipation.

It had been nearly six months since the last they had sex, and she was longing for his rock hard bulge to find home yet again. Mark Calaway was meant for a real woman such as herself, not a little girl like Stephanie.

Pulling her hair back forcefully, causing her to yell out in pain, Mark, running his nose over her breasts and back up to her neck again, whispered softly into her ear, "And what about cueball? Your husband?"

Exasperating, wanting Mark to take her higher, Angel manipulated her lower body so that she was moving up and down on Mark's fingers, through her panties, the tips of her finger running over her clit, causing her to tremble with fury. "Ah. Huh? What about him?"

Nibbling at her ear now, with one hand still wrapped around the locks of her hair, his other fingers began to slowly and painfully tickle back up and down Angel's spine, causing her to lick her lips, biting them, desperately wanting Taker to fill her again, Taker asked, "If I get rid of Stephanie, what are you going to do about Sharon?"

Although that wasn't her husband's name, Angel was almost desperate now. She wanted for their bodies to intertwine again worse than she needed air to breathe. Mark was her most passionate and best lover, and she had already waited too long for his return into her body.

Telling him the honest to goodness truth, knowing it would make him happy, so he could stop teasing and torturing her, Angel half yelled out, "I don't care about him! I don't care about him! All I want is you! Please don't make me beg!"

Suddenly turning his body around, Mark pinned Angel down to the table, her wrists in his hands, his one strong left leg separating Angel's two. Bending down to kiss lightly on her neck, Mark then asked, as if he was reassuring something, "You don't care about your husband?"

Angel, about to go crazy with wanting, panted out, "No, no, no! I don't! I don't! All I care about is this!"

Bringing his face down to hers again, almost kissing her, Mark told Angel deeply, "Well, I care about _my_ wife." Pulling himself off of her, Mark looked back at Angel as he was walking to the door and said without looking back, "See you around. Don't forget to handle my business, _Mrs_. Scott."

And with that, he suddenly left out of the door, leaving Angel, baffled, yet smiling in bewilderment, lying half naked on the boardroom table.


	46. A Proper Proposal

Driving back home in his Chevy pickup, Mark had a lot on his mind.

One, he wanted that belt off Austin, but now when he finally thought he had Vince and Shane out of his way, in comes Linda? Mark had promised that he nor the Ministry would physically harm Linda, however, he hadn't said anything about mental duress.

If Linda thought that she could just come in and encroach on his territory, then she had another thing coming entirely. He cared about Stephanie, he was finally about at the place where he considered that he loved her, but he wasn't above using a bit of manipulation to get what he wanted.

On top of that, his contract was expiring soon, and he wanted to make himself the highest paid player in the game going into this whole New Millennium. Whether or not Vince and the board of directors wanted to make him the highest contracted worker in the company or not, Mark had a strong feeling, by or even before the end of July, he'd get his wish.

And now, Angel, whom Mark could never really resist, right when he had made up his mind to finally commit to Stephanie somewhat, _now_, of all times, when they hadn't had sex in nearly six months, _now_ she wanted him?

Angel was never a one man woman, which is why it puzzled the hell out of him why her husband even married her in the first place. Angel would forever be the lady in the streets but the whore in the bedrooms, and her extracurricular activities with different men constantly outside of her marriage confirmed that.

True enough, Mark wanted Angel today. In fact, looking at Angel's perfectly formed body in the tight skirt that she wore, showing off that great butt of hers, and her legs manipulating those heels, made him want her to have sex with Angel right there on the desk of her office, but he couldn't risk having sex with her and jeopardizing not only his marriage, but his plans to rule the World Wrestling Federation once and for all.

Rubbing his head with one hand still on the steering wheel, Mark pulled into the driveway of his home, punched in the code at the gate, and jumped out the truck, slamming the door behind him, his thoughts heavy.

Walking into the house, Mark stepped into the foyer, and noticed a stack of mail on the table next to the door. Going through the stack of papers, all of them marked, "Mark Calaway", his thoughts so unusually unorganized, Mark didn't even realize that his huge Mastiff, Zeus, was walking up on him.

Playfully leaping up on his hind legs, licking at his master's hand, Mark petted Zeus on top of the head, but he himself wasn't necessarily in the mood for a lot of playing. Going through the mail still, his thoughts about business all over the place, for the second time, Mark failed to notice that Stephanie was standing over the open railing of the staircase, looking down at him.

"Ahem! Why the long face?"

Looking up, Taker saw Stephanie in one of the most ridiculous outfits he had ever laid eyes on.

"Girl, what in the hell … get down here," he ordered playfully.

As Stephanie walked carefully down the stairs, making sure to watch her steps, she said as she was coming down, "Well, you said we were going fishing, so I dressed for the occasion."

As Stephanie walked before her husband, her full outfit came into eye view.

She was wearing a huge beige floppy hat, with two strings tied together underneath her chin, a red and blue long sleeve flannel shirt, oversized blue jean overalls, and a large pair of knee high green rubber boots. In one hand, Stephanie held a fishing pole, with enough hooks attached to it to catch just about every fish in the pond, and in the other hand, a green metal tackle box, which was rattled loudly every time she made a movement.

The look on Mark's face was one of comedy. He was now thoroughly convinced that even the great Lucille Ball couldn't have even pulled this look off more effortlessly than what Stephanie was doing at the moment.

Covering his mouth with his hand, attempting not to laugh in his wife's face, Stephanie, clearly not understanding what was so funny, asked frankly, "What? What? This is how they dressed on the Outdoors Channel. We're going fishing. What's the problem?"

Rubbing his beard, trying to keep his composure, Mark replied, "Steph, we're not going deep sea fishing. We're going to a small little pond on the edge of town, _tomorrow_ morning, not today. Fish not biting right now. But I applaud your effort."

"I know we aren't going until tomorrow, but I just wanted to show you my look."

As Stephanie twirled around in a circle, showing off her outfit even more, as the tackle box rattled loudly, Mark had to take a big step back, fearing that he might become bait on her rod. Turning back around to face him, noting the look of amusement still residing on he husband's face, Steph sighed heavily and asked innocently, "Too much?"

"Yeah," Mark answered, smiling and chuckling. "Way too much. I'm just glad you're going back up the stairs and not coming back down them. I thought you were going to break your neck for a moment trying to get down here."

Swatting Mark with her fishing pole, Steph said "Hey!" loudly.

Feigning as if he was hurt, Mark fell to the ground, holding his side, pretending he was in pain. Steph, however, not giving him what he wanted, merely stepped over his fallen body.

"That's for making fun."

Walking over to the table, noting all the pieces of paper that were stacked up high on the table, Steph said with a bit of concern. "All these letters. I didn't even know they were that bad. Are they foreclosure notices or something?"

Surprised that his wife wasn't making an attempt to help him up, and since his back was hurting, as usual, Mark continued to lie on the ground.

Looking up at the ceiling, saying with a bit of sarcasm in his voice, Mark replied, "Yeah, they're sending foreclosure notices in the mail. I'm broke. You gotta go back home to Daddy Warbucks. But yeah, mostly bills. Estate manager takes care of those. Wrestling documents I don't care to look at right now. And, I don't know, some sort of envelope I was about to open it, but you came down here looking like a …"

Cutting him off, Stephanie swatted Mark in the shoulder with the handle of her fishing pole, earning another childish yelp from him. "Ouch. Man, talk about abusive."

Coming across a nice size white envelope, Stephanie looking down at Mark lying on the floor, smiling, then went about opening it. Inside the large rectangular envelope was a letter from the Director of Vital Statistics in New Haven, Connecticut. Looking over the letter for a moment, Steph suddenly got a fresh batch of butterflies in her stomach, because as she set the letter aside, right underneath it was a white and blue certificate which stated:

STATE OF CONNECTICUT

MARRIAGE LICENSE

COUNTY OF

hartford

To any Judge, Minister, Justice or any other Person Lawfully authorized to celebrate the Rites of Matrimony.

YOU ARE HEREBY LICENSED TO CELEBRATE THE

RITES OF MATRIMONY

BETWEEN

Mr. MARK WILLIAM CALAWAY and

M STEPHANIE MARIE MCMAHON

and for doing this shall be your warrant.

Given under the official seal, this the 5th Day of May in the year

of our Lord Nineteen Ninety Nine

Harvey Myers Circuit Clerk

By R. Reynolds D.C.

To the left side was a gold seal hardly pressed into the paper, which read counterclockwise, "Hartford County Circuit Court Connecticut".

So here it was. Stephanie and Mark's marriage certificate, which meant that within all legal purposes, they were actually married. Of course, they were actually married once that horrid ceremony was over, but, this made things 100% official for them.

Almost in a state of shock, for whatever reason, Steph stood there and stared at the document for a moment. Now that they had their marriage certificate, things would begin to change even more for them.

Stephanie was now a true "Calaway". She'd have to get her named legally changed, have her mailed forwarded to this address, get a Texas driver's license, all sorts of things. Pulling himself up, Mark kissed the side of Stephanie's neck. He knew she was unusually quiet for some reason, and when he wrapped his arms around her, he saw the certificate, as well.

"We gotta go out and get a frame for this," continuing to hug and kiss his wife lovingly from the side.

Stephanie was honestly beside herself with joy. She wasn't showing it on the outside, but on the inside, she was literally breaking down, in a good way, however. Turning around to face him, kissing his lips, Steph let out an, "I love … what's that on your neck?"

Perplexed, Mark asked, "What's what on my neck?"

Pointing to the red mark that was planted firmly on the right side of his neck, Stephanie said appalled, "Mark, there's a lipstick stain on your neck!"

Thinking, "FUCK!" to himself, Mark thought of a lie and thought of a lie quickly.

"I know what you're thinking, and I want you to settle down right now. It's not what you think."

"Not what I think? What do you mean it's not what I think? Mark, there's a lipstick stain on your neck! What have you been …"

Putting a finger up to her lips, trying to stop her before she got started, Mark said, trying to sound as convincing as possible, "Shh. Don't get yourself excited and worked up over nothing. Listen, you know I went to go see Angel this morning, to meet with your daddy's lawyers and stuff. As I was going to my truck in the parking garage, a fan, a female fan, saw me, asked me for my autograph. Gave it to her, she hugged me, then she kissed me as she hugged me. Trust me when I say, I haven't been slobbing down any other woman but you."

Voice cracking, looking as if she wanted to bawl right then and there, Steph looked around wildly and said, "Mark, please be honest with me. I don't think I could take if you … I mean, if some woman … you already told me about those two girls in the basement …"

Grabbing her hands into his, looking into her eyes sincerely, Mark knew that if he had told her the truth about Angel, about how they had been lovers, and how she was attempting to seduce him today, that would spell nothing but trouble. He couldn't afford to lose Stephanie, both personally and professionally. It was hard for him to admit that he loved anyone, but that's just what he was feeling for Stephanie. It wasn't planned to be this way, but now that it was, it was too late to turn back.

Looking down at his almost grief stricken wife, Mark calmed again, "Steph, I told you I'd never cheat on you, and I haven't. You know how fans can get. You know how they're overzealous at times, too overzealous, but that doesn't mean I'd ever slip up and do something to intentionally hurt you. It's not like that, and deep down, you know that, too."

A small tear falling out of her eye, Stephanie bent her head downwards. She wanted to believe Mark; 99 percent of her really did, but the other 1 percent …

_"Maybe it's just my insecurities,"_ Stephanie thought to herself. _"Maybe it's me, from seeing all these beautiful women he's constantly surrounded by, the Divas, girls at bars, who actually have a nice pair and I don't. Maybe all that is finally getting the better of me?"_

Other than in the beginning, Mark had never truly been mean to Stephanie. In fact, for the most part, he had been nothing but a perfect gentlemen, downright charming and endearing at times, but this lipstick stain … was he honestly telling the truth?

Wiping the tear from her face, Mark continued to look down at Stephanie, who simply nodded and said, "Ok", within a whisper.

Bending down to one knee, looking up at her, Mark made perfectly clear, "That's all it was, ok? Baby, I promise. I don't want any other woman but you. Please understand that."

Nodding, holding her head down to meet his gaze, Taker suddenly stood back up on his feet, and said strongly, while wrapping his arms around her, "You trust me, don't you?" Nodding with her head in his chest, Steph said, "You know I do." Rubbing his hands over the softness over her back, even though she was dressed very cartoonishly, Mark replied deeply, "No, Steph, I want to hear you say it. Say 'I trust you.'"

Biting her lips, Stephanie looked into her husband's green eyes, not knowing the outcome of their marriage, but still willing to fight for it, and repeated, "I trust you."

Bending down to kiss her passionately, Mark began to slowly creep his arms down her back, molding the flesh that was behind hidden from him through her overalls. Picking her up and walking to the sitting room right next to the foyer, Mark slowly laid Stephanie down on one of the couches, discarding her hat and taking off those God awful boots, exposing her bare feet.

From there, Mark removed her overalls, leaving only her flannel shirt, with her bra and panties hiding underneath. Kissing her deeply, Mark slowly pulled back and said, "Stay right here. Don't move."

Sitting up on the couch, Stephanie watched as her husband exited the room, only to come back moments later, sans lipstick stain. Picking her up again, lacing his lips with hers, he walked with her as if she didn't weight a pound. Walking to the door, Mark opened it, while Stephanie still had her legs wrapped around him, carrying her to the outside of the house. Stephanie, giggling inside his mouth, realizing that she was outside now, semi-nude, looked all around her as the plush acreage, wondering just what he was planning to do with her.

"Mark," still giggling, "What … what … where are we going? You can see my panties."

Placing her down on the pavement, Mark said, "Don't worry about that, no one's going to see."

Taking her left hand, Mark suddenly began removing her wedding band. Starting to say something, Steph decided against it, but instead, looked on curiously as he did so, taking the ring off completely, leaving only a red ring around her finger where the jewelry used to reside. She suddenly felt like something was missing from her, and before she could ask why he took her wedding band off, outside in front of the house no less, she had her answer.

"You don't need this right now," Mark said darkly. Confused, Steph started, "Mark, baby, what are you doing? Why'd you tak…"

"We both said we should do this the right way, so I'm doing this the right way."

Confused still, Steph watched with earnest as Mark carefully grabbed her left hand again, bending down one one knee. Reaching down into his pocket, he carefully pulled out a small red suede box.

Completely in shock, Steph looked down in tears, not believing her eyes or ears.

Rubbing her hand continuously, Mark stated, "I was going to save this for later tonight, but, here goes. Stephanie, what I did to you, I can never take back. I'd never ask your forgiveness, because quite frankly I don't deserve. I don't even know if I truly do deserve your hand in marriage, but, I am asking, in front of _our_ home…"

Opening the box, revealing a beautiful platinum and diamond engagement ring, which had one large princess cut diamond in the middle, with two rows of smaller diamonds, at least fifty of them, surrounding the larger diamond, with the band itself enclosed in another fourteen smaller diamonds, Mark, taking the ring out of the box, looked up at Stephanie, almost driving into her very soul with the longing that escaped his eyes, asked mercifully, "Stephanie Calaway, please, will you marry me?"

Staring down at him for a moment, truly never expecting this, water slowly trickling down her face, Steph, even though in health she felt fine, her legs began to collapse on her, the weight of her upper body being too much for her bottom to support. Catching her in his arms, a steady flow of tears running down her face, having to move the hair that was blowing in her face, Steph grabbed Mark by the face, crying uncontrollably, saying, "Yes. Yes. Yes."

And that's all he wanted or need to hear. Slipping the ring onto her finger, rubbing her head and back, Steph cried in his arms, not being able to control the onslaught of tears that were running all down her face. They were tears of joy and happiness. She knew that Mark had committed to her, but now, he was really committing to her. He wanted to marry her in a chapel, with their friends and family around, he wanted to move forward with their union, and he wanted to do it the right way.

Continuously crying, not being able to compose herself, Mark picked Stephanie up with big arms, as she once again wrapped her legs around his body. Tasting the salt in her tears, Mark kissed Stephanie all the way back into the house, walking up the bedroom with her, down the hallway, and into their bedroom.

Placing her slowly and softly onto the bed, Mark continued to kiss Stephanie, rubbing sensually up and down her sides, rubbing her hair out of her face again. Slowly suck her bottom lip, Mark slowly brought his left hand back down her body, tracing his hand seductively down her side, down her thighs, massaging her calves and lower legs and he went.

Pulling back from her a bit, sliding down the bed, Mark began planting gentle kisses up Stephanie's lower body, starting first at her left ankle, slowly guiding his way back up her inner thigh, leaving a trail of hot love marks on her left leg, taking his attention and doing the same for her right leg.

With tears sliding down the sides of her face, Stephanie watched as Mark straddled her body, unbuttoning her flannel shirt, button by button. Exposing her white bra, Mark sat Stephanie up in the bed gently, crawling around in the bed, almost catlike, removing her shirt completely from behind. Kissing behind her neck and spine, tracing his long and hot tongue down her back, Stephanie arched her it, the scintillating feeling almost too much for her to handle, as Mark unclasped the hooks of her bra, rendering her completely naked from the waist up.

Sucking on her neck hotly, Mark began to play with Steph's nipples simultaneously, flicking the perky nubs between his fingers, her areolas scrunching up against his tantalizing touch. Moaning deeply within her throat, Steph watched from the corner of her eyes as Mark began leaving a trail of warm kisses down her shoulder and left side, before he turned her body towards him slightly, suckling strongly on her nipple.

Hair falling down her back from her thrashing her head back up and down in wanton bliss, Stephanie, looking up into the ceiling, felt Mark then give her other breast just as much attention as he gave her left one.

Pushing his fingers around the waistband of her panties, Steph felt Mark push her slowly back down onto the bed, but his tongue was quick to follow back up her body, from her breasts, all the way back up to her collarbone.

Taking his tongue and sexually torturing Stephanie with it, Mark slowly began to trace it back down her body, down her chest and sternum, onto her stomach, settling right above her panty line. Hooking her right leg into the crook of his elbow, Mark nipped along Stephanie's panties line, lightly biting at thin fabric.

While Stephanie continued to pant heavily, pinching at her own nipples, Mark slid even further down into the bed. Bringing her right leg into the crook of his elbow now, making Steph's legs settle onto the tops of his shoulders, Mark dipped his head between her legs and began kissing at Stephanie's pink and wet lips through her panties.

Arching her back, moaning out his name, Mark continued to lap over the crouch of Stephanie's panties, tasting her flowing juices from within the fabric. Biting lightly, taking his fingers within the waistband of her underwear, he slowly eased them down her legs. Putting her legs back onto her shoulders, Mark dipped his head between the middle of Stephanie's thighs, running his tongue up and down her drizzling wet slit.

Feeling electrifying tingles flowing all through her body, curling up her toes from one lick to her sweet center only, Mark licked again. Stephanie moaned so loudly this time that she managed to awaken April, who was sleeping peacefully in her doggy bed. Arching her back, Steph's hand flew right to Mark's head, trapping her fingers inside his hair, while Mark, taking his time, making Steph think and feel every lick that was coming to her way, dashed over Stephanie's hot fold once again.

Slipping a finger inside her, Steph turned her body sideways, as Mark continued to lick between her pulsating center. Each time that he'd slowly bring his long finger, gently twisting and prodding, out of her tight, very tight body, she'd received another lick. They had a rhythm now, and Steph, sweat beginning to pool between her breasts and on top of her forehead, couldn't keep up. She was being turned inside out in the most sensual way possible, and she was loving each second of it.

Mark, of course, kept at it. He liked the taste of his wife on his lips, and he loved how Steph was abandoning her innocence, gripping his hair harder, grinding her hips into his face, almost forcing him do more. And more is what she got. Sticking his tongue all the way into her body, holding her in place by the hips, Mark moved his tongue up and down inside of her, feeling her total insides. Steph, shaking, loosening her grip on Mark's hair, suddenly felt small droplets of liquid leaking from body, all of which fell right onto Mark's tongue.

Literally slurping up his liquid diet, Steph, her euphoria almost at a peak, her legs and arms trembling, feeling like she was lying on pins and needles, screamed to a higher power! She then felt Mark leave her body, only momentarily, however, because as he slowly snaked his hard rod into her clenched vagina, Steph's leg wrapped him Mark tightly, as he began military pressing himself into her. Pumping into her extra slowly, dropping down within her with precision, Steph felt like a hurricane was forming deep inside her body. Her everything was swirling, her body was shaking, and her pants became so loud they started echoing around the room.

Continuing to slowly pound away inside of her, the sounds of their love making completely audible, press after press, thrust after thrust, Stephanie felt Mark separate her lips between her legs, massaging them.

Going as far as sticking another finger inside of her, while his thumb once again familiarized itself with her pounding clit, while Mark continued to slowly hammer away, Steph began feeling her muscles contracting, and those familiar electric currents began running all over her body, and that volcanic like eruption springing up from the tips of her toes, spreading all through her body, made her, even though they were making love, meet Mark's thrusts.

Pushing herself into them, Steph, clawing at Mark's back now, biting at his shoulder, yelled out, "Ba … baby… I think I … I think I'm … OH GOD … CUM …CUMMING …"

Still thrusting himself into her, Steph shrieked with titillating excitement! Curling her fingers around Mark's shoulder blades, her nails leaving heavy scratch marks on his back, her toes balled together, her back arching, and her yelling so loud that she scared April into a loud, squeamish bark, Steph came … and she came hard … and her husband came crashing down hard with her.


	47. Stephanie the Trouble Maker

On Saturday, Mark and Steph went fishing. This was Steph's first time ever going fishing, and she was a bit apprehensive. The Greenwich snob in her didn't want to get all wet and muddy, but the other side of her, the down to earth side, really did want to learn more about it, so she didn't overly dress herself like she did yesterday, either.

While Mark simply wore an open blue flannel shirt, gold chain around his neck, and black jeans, Steph went for the Lara Croft look: beige tank top, short brown cargo shorts, brown boots, and braided ponytail. And that really made her husband happy.

The old Stephanie would have never considered wearing short shorts alone in her own bedroom, let alone actually go outside in them, but as the days passed more and more, Mark noticed more subtle changes in her. Like at that house show on Tuesday.

From his vantage point, it looked as if Stephanie actually _enjoyed_ seeing him put a hurting on X-Pac, and that told Mark right then and there that the old Stephanie, before long, would be gone. At least that's what his plan was.

The two drove to a little pond on the other side of town around 2 o'clock that evening. Mark frequented this particular pond a lot, especially when he wanted to catch some of the best Bream in all of Texas.

Although Steph had to be extra quiet here, lying her head against Mark's chest, as he taught her how to fish, the whole fishing aspect was honestly exhilarating to her. She was finally stepping out of her comfort zone and opening up more. She would have never done this back in Greenwich, and she liked the feeling of shedding more and more of her old skin.

Mark taught Stephanie mostly all of the basic techniques of fishing that she needed to know; how to line a fishing pole, how to use live bait, even though Stephanie refused to touch anything creepy and crawling, and most importantly, how to cast her rod.

And they caught a lot of fish, a whole bucket full. Bream were naturally small to medium size fish, so their load quickly rose with every catch. Steph even managed to catch two fish herself, but seeing as though one was still only a baby, she spared the little guy by throwing it back into the water.

While Stephanie definitely had a fun time learning how to fish, she had an even better time looking down at the ring that was comfortably positioned on her finger.

The ring was a brilliant cut, and from the quality alone, she could tell Mark had spent a lot of money on it. Although he wouldn't tell her exactly how much he paid for it, and Stephanie honestly didn't care, he did tell her that he had been designing the ring for her for a while, which told Stephanie that he honestly meant to do the right thing all along, which would also explain why the ring fit her finger so perfectly.

She was in love. She knew this, admitted this, and now, Mark was finally showing his love and affection for her, as well. He was a prideful man, sure, but now he was being more open with her, and that openness didn't just involve sex.

As they had discussed, next week, they'd begin the process of changing Stephanie's address, her last name, and get her a Texas I.D. On Tuesday, since Mark didn't have to be at TV until Sunday Night Heat, Stephanie, for the first time, would finally get the chance to meet Mark's other family members! And while she was definitely anxious about the impending meeting, not knowing how they'd exactly feel about her, she was happy about finally meeting them, to let them know that their wedding date, their _real_ wedding date, was soon to be set.

Stephanie was proud to be Mrs. Calaway, however, the thought of having to go to Raw each and every week, and making it seem like she wasn't bothered her. She wanted to let the entire world know that she loved Mark, that he was her man and that she was his woman, but they had to carry on this ridiculous charade, and it made her far more upset than she originally thought it would.

At first, she didn't want to hurt the WWF superstars, most of whom she had known for many years, but now, she didn't care about hurting anyone's feelings, especially when hers, and her entire private life, was at stake.

There was always a bunch of lying, conniving, and underhandedness going on within the company; guys wanted other guys spots, lobbied for their spot, and played politics, so if they were going to be mad at her for doing what she had to do in order to save her marriage and family life, then so be it. She felt that she was finally prepared to handle the consequences.

After the two got back home and took a bath, Mark taught Stephanie how to clean and cook their catch. It wasn't too hard, but Stephanie was definitely more used to the cook back home in Greenwich going to the grocer and picking out the fish from behind a glass, already dead and semi-prepared. All of this, learning how to fish, cook, and generally do things for herself was somewhat still of a culture shock for her, but she actually found herself enjoying being a housewife now. It made her feel human on the inside.

After Stephanie finished cleaning all of the fish, which wasn't as bad as she thought it would be, Mark went outside under the covered patio, and began grilling the fish while Stephanie in the kitchen steamed vegetables and prepared a bed of wild rice.

She also fed both Zeus and April, and once again, she had to mop up the floor after Zeus, jealous of all the attention April was receiving, knocked over her doggy bowl of water. In the end, however, Stephanie and Mark, along with Zeus and April, sat under the stars from the patio, with the fire pit illuminating them, enjoying their meal and each other's company.

The next morning was Sunday, and all of their things were packed. They were leaving earlier than usual because of the time difference. Mark was scheduled to be at Sunday Night Heat in Jacksonville, FL, which was only about a two hour flight from Houston, but since he was always one to be ahead of the pack, they had to leave early.

Of course, it hurt Steph to have to leave behind her babies, Zeus and April, but she knew that with the estate manager, they'd be perfectly fine.

It was literally showtime, and once again, the opening act had already started.

After the brief flight over from Houston, Stephanie and Mark arrived in Jacksonville, with a car waiting outside the airport, as usual. The hotel they were staying in was literally only a few blocks away from the Jacksonville Memorial Arena, which is where Sunday Night Heat was taking place.

They stayed in their hotel room for a while, lounging around, preparing for the show, and before long they headed off to the show. Walking hand and hand into the arena, Steph suddenly felt a very strange aura washing over her. It was the same feeling she felt the Tuesday prior at that house show in California. She just couldn't put her finger on it, but she took this as a sign of bad karma on the horizon, and she definitely did not like that feeling.

As Mark went about taking care of business, Stephanie wandered around the arena, looking for either Linda, Vince, or Shane. Steph didn't understand it.

Since she had been with Mark, she had only seen Vince once, and afterwards, it was as if he disappeared. He wasn't even on Raw this past Monday and Vince never missed a Raw. The last time he had missed a show was because he had to take care of a urgent business which could had to be handled by him only.

On that night, Shawn Michaels went out to the ring in an interview with Jim Ross, with a bunch of gauze stuffed in his biker shorts, before proceeding to crotch chop JR in midair while he attempted to give Shawn a serious interview.

Walking around the arena, Stephanie finally walked Mike, a good friend from production, who was very happy to see her.

"Steph!" Mike said aloud, hugging her, genuinely glad to see her in once piece. "Girl, man, we've missed seeing you around! You're ok, right?"

Smiling, Steph struggled within herself once again. She hated deceiving people like Mike, whom had been employed with Vince since the early 80s. He even babysat Stephanie once when she was a little girl, after her nanny got sick at one of the shows.

But still, she had to go through with this. Her marriage was literally hanging in the balance.

Embracing him warmly, then pulling back to meet him face to face, still smiling, Steph replied, "Of course I am. Thank you for asking. Hey, do you have a schedule on you? I kind of wanted to take a look at the matches for tonight, just to see what the product is going to be like. I've been out of loop, you know?"

Nodding, Mike reached behind his back and pulled out a sheet of folded up paper from his back pocket, handing it to her, saying, "Sure, sure, here you go."

As Steph scanned the format, she saw that Mankind and Ken Shamrock had a tag team match against Kane and X-Pac tonight for the tag titles. The victor' of this match would go on to face the Acolytes tomorrow night on Raw.

While neither Mark nor the Brood were in action tonight, Mideon was, in singles completion against the Big Show.

Nodding her head, liking the scheduling, Steph looked back up when Mike, who said solemnly, "Steph, you know, all of us around here, Kevin Dunn, and the rest of the guys in production, we all are really worried about you. I mean, if you need anything, or if you want to talk about something that we can, you know, maybe help out with, don't hesitate. We're here for you, ok?"

Nodding again, Stephanie heard the true sincerity in Mike's voice. Stephanie had been around the boys and such for many years. She had literally grown up in this business, so she had grown a bond with a lot of people, who honestly did not want to see her hurt because of Mark.

And that's when she began wrestling with her conscience again. She told herself that she was going to live her life for herself, that she was going to live by her own rules and regulations, but deceiving people who truly cared about her gave her the worst feeling possible deep down in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't right that she was outright lying to people and shed knew this.

"I'm fine, honestly I am, Mike, and thank you for looking out for me," Stephanie acknowledged. "But there is one thing I need to know."

"Shoot."

"Have you by chance seen any of my family members, maybe my mom, Shane, or my dad? It's Mother's Day, and I went out and got my mom a present, but I haven't seen anyone around."

That's when Mike suddenly looked like he had just seen a ghost, dropping his jaw, then swallowing really hard, before his eyes began to bulge out of his head a bit. Stephanie didn't know what was wrong with him. He literally turned white with fear right before her very eyes.

"Mike, you ok?" Steph asked curiously.

Clearing his throat, Mike then pointed behind Stephanie. She shuddered to think of who was just behind her. Turning slowly, afraid that Mark had overheard their conversation, Stephanie found that it no one other than X-Pac who had apparently frightened Mike.

_Is he afraid of X-Pac? What is going on?"_

As soon as Steph turned around to ask why Mike was pointing at X-Pac, she saw that he had literally hightailed it down the hallway. Turning back around to face Sean, confused, Stephanie found herself backing away suddenly, as X-Pac was descending upon her, nearly pinning her up against the table she was standing next to.

Not wasting any time, X-Pac, sporting a white bandage over his forehead, made his point crystal clear, "I want your husband and I want his dead ass right now."

Flabbergasted that X-Pac had bum rushed her, literally backing her into a corner, Stephanie, finding that depth in her voice again, looked back at X-Pac with a fire in her eyes and said cockily, "So? He's not around. But I promise you, if he wants you, he's going to get _you_," pushing her finger right into X-Pac's shoulder.

X-Pac, however, who looked as determined as ever, wanting to get him a piece of Taker, after being assaulted by him last Tuesday, then looked back on at Stephanie and said, "Oh, I get it, I get it. Daddy's little girl ain't so little anymore. Guess you figure that now because you're married to Mark, everybody around here is supposed to shit a brick at your mere presence?"

Scoffing, quite offended that X-Pac was speaking to her like he was, Stephanie was about to say something in rebuttal, but she was cut off.

"Well, let me just tell you something, Stephanie _McMahon_. Just like I told Glenn, just like I told Kane, Mark, the Undertaker, whatever the hell you want to call himself, he can't be trusted. So you live out your little fantasy about being with that demonic freak show of a bad boy you call a husband all you want to, I don't give a damn. _But_ when he shows you his true colors, don't come back crying. I won't have sympathy for you."

Smirking, turning her head to the right, Stephanie then leaned up and said confidently, "You know, X-Pac, speaking of color, you had quite the color running down your face last Tuesday night, so how did it feel, huh?"

Rubbing her hand across the bandage of X-Pac, Stephanie snickered to herself once again, and said finally, "Oh, and before this night is over, you won't be the only one seeing a bit of color. Toodles."

Walking around X-Pac and then back down the hallway, Stephanie was suddenly furious!

_"How dare that midcarder attempt to check me about my marriage! Wait until Mark …"_

And that's when Stephanie was suddenly flooded with a bright idea.

Mark was always reminding her how she needed to act more like a woman, and now would be the perfect time to show him just what kind of woman he had in his corner. If her idea worked out tonight, then she'd not only get her revenge on X-Pac for accosting her a few moments ago, but she'd also show Mark just how much of an asset she could be in his corner. It was as if the best of both worlds suddenly merged in this diabolical plan of her's.

Seeing more production members, Stephanie walked up and said, "Hey James, hey Ray. Listen guys, by any chance, have any of you seen Billy Gunn? I need to tell him something urgent."

James, the taller of the two, pointed down the hallway and told Stephanie, "Yeah, last I seen him he was right down the hallway here in catering. To your left, can't miss it."

Thanking the two men, Stephanie, upon entering catering, observed how the majority of the superstars and Divas were simply sitting around talking with each other, eating their fill, until they actually laid eyes of her. It was as if they too had seen a ghost.

_"Is it my appearance?"_

All she was had chosen to wear was a simple black blouse, creme pants, and black sandal heels, but it wasn't anything extra.

As the superstars continued to ogle away, Stephanie walked up to Billy, who was having a conversation with Terri Runnels. Although Terri hugged Steph tightly and she was definitely happy to see Terri again, Stephanie was definitely more focused on speaking with Billy.

"I hate to intrude, but Terri, is there any way I could speak to Billy alone for a moment, and I promise, you can have him right back?" Stephanie asked politely. She didn't want to give herself away by seeming angry.

"No, no, you go on ahead. I have to get ready for tonight's show anyway," said Terri, who soon walked off leaving Steph and Billy alone.

"What's up, Steph? You here to check out all this?" Billy asked cockily. He was in his wrestling attire of lime green trunks, with pink lips covering them, and white boots. And while Gunn, making his pecs bounce up and down, had a magnificent body, she needed him for something other than his body.

"Um, no." Steph said emphatically. "But, I do have something to tell you."

"Go for it," Billy answered, holding up his arms.

"I hate to be troublesome, I really do, but I just ran into X-Pac in the hallway."

At the mere mention of X-Pac's name, Stephanie noticed how Billy, who had recently defected from D-Generation X, suddenly tensed up, his facial expression completely changing. In Gunn's eyes, he was the one who carried the load of D-Generation X on his back, and he felt that it was time that he stopped allowing X-Pac and his once best friend, Road Dogg Jesse James, to ride on his coattails for free.

"Yeah, go on," Billy said agitatedly. He was a singles star now, therefore he didn't want to hear any mention of his former DX comrades.

Taking a deep breath, Stephanie, appearing to be shaken as possible, said, "Well, I ran into him, and he said he was going to the ring, to defend the titles against Mankind and Shamrock, but he told me to tell you that if by any chance that he ran into you before his match tonight, he was going to …"

Rolling his hand around in a circle, Billy hurried Stephanie, saying, "He was going to what? Come on, Steph, out with it."

Shaking her head back and forth, her hair whipping back and forth onto her shoulders, Stephanie responded, "He told me to tell you that he was going to kick your butt … tonight."

Billy, as his pupils dilated, his lip quivering, was furious that X-Pac, whom he couldn't seem to get rid of lately, would dare send a message by anyone, let alone the boss' wife. He wanted to get his hands on X-Pac now in the worst way possible!

"Oh, he did, huh?" Billy asked angrily, nearly shaking with fury.

Nodding once again, Stephanie answered, "Yes," sheepishly.

Banging his paper cup of water he had against the table, flattening it, making everyone in the room turn their head from the direction of the noise, Billy said loudly, "Well we'll just see about that!" before hurriedly storming out.

As everyone watched Billy stalk out of catering, they then turned their attention back to Stephanie, who promptly exited, as well, walking down the hallway with a very devilish smile on her face.

Proud of the fact that X-Pac was going to get his, she passed by a monitor, which was apparently recapping last Monday night.

The Big Show had called Mark out, and after he apparently got into some sort of altercation with X-Pac and Kane, after the lights went out and came back up, Mark knocked Big Show cold with one swift shot to the head with a baseball bat as he was turning back around, shattering it, causing the giant to fall flat to the mat!

For whatever reason, seeing her husband dominate someone like that drew a cold shiver down Stephanie's spine, but it didn't come from a place of fear. No, this shiver quite frankly came from a place of lust. She liked knowing that her man was as in control as he was. It meant that she was the proud wife of a very powerful man.

That's when Stephanie then noticed that right in front of this monitor was a dressing room with the words "The Ministry" marked on it. Backing up a bit, smiling wickedly, wanting to add a little fuel to the fire, Steph began knocking on the door lightly.

"Come in!"

Peeping around the door first, Stephanie saw Bradshaw and Farooq sitting in a pair of steel folding chairs, but the rest of the Ministry was nowhere to be found.

_"Absolutely perfect."_

"Hey guys. Um, where's everybody else?" Stephanie asked curiously. She didn't want to run the risk of anyone overhearing her.

Bradshaw, smiling, greeted, "Hey, champ! Come on in! Um, Mideon's getting ready for his match, Mark's showering, and Paul and the Brood are around here somewhere, but you know how that goes."

Nodding, just what Stephanie wanted to hear, Bradshaw then asked, "Why? What's on your mind?"

"Well," Steph started, rubbing her hands together. "I know a way we can kill two big birds, and one little bird, all with one stone tonight."

Looking back and forth at each other curiously, Farooq motioned Stephanie to continue, saying, "Go on. We're listening."

Smiling, Stephanie said, "Well, I know all about what Mark did to the Big Show last Monday night."

Looking at each other again, because they seriously doubted that Mark would come out of his own mouth and tell her this, especially since he had given everyone, from production on down, explicit orders to keep Stephanie in the dark as much as possible about the show, the two asked simultaneously, "You do?"

Nodding, lips puckered out, Steph added, "Yes, boys, I do, and you know, I thought it was brilliant! And I know how we can soften both up Big Show, Kane, and X-Pac before your tag team title match tomorrow night on Raw."

Impressed, wanting to get he and Farooq's hand on that title as quickly as possible, Bradshaw said, "Ok, let's hear it."

Smiling, glad they were going to hear her out, Steph looked towards the direction of the shower, and when she saw the steam still coming out of the room, cut right to the chase.

"Ok. I just sent Billy Gunn on a dummy mission. Apparently, X-Pac thinks it's perfectly ok for him to corner me, threaten the entire Ministry; he said he could tear each and every one of your up, limb for limb, and get away with it. So I told Billy in catering that X-Pac is looking for him, and that X-Pac said that he was going to kick Billy's ass tonight."

"That little rat face bastard!" Bradshaw said infuriated. Farooq, looking on inquisitively, then asked, "Well, is he? I mean, did X-Pac tell you he was going to kick Gunn's ass tonight?"

Shaking her head and smiling, Stephanie said finally, "No."

With Farooq and Bradshaw both looking at each other now, smiling themselves, realizing just where Stephanie was going with this, Steph continued, "Ok, it's like this …"

* * *

><p>Sunday Night Heat was well under way, and the "largest athlete in the world," the Big Show, didn't hesitate making his way down to the ring, beyond ready for his match against the Ministry's own, Mideon.<p>

As a video package played out over the airways of Taker and Big Show's recent interactions with each other, including how the Undertaker had completely obliterated the Show with a baseball bat, it was pretty safe to say that the Show wasn't in a very good mood, and he was going to take all of his anger and frustrations out on Mideon.

Stepping over the top rope, Big Show kicked a big boot up, striking Mideon right in the face!

Picking the Ministry member back up and throwing him into the ropes, Mideon, not even able to get any offense going, had a huge hand wrapped around his throat before he even knew what hit him, and with one upward motion, Show planted Mideon down to mat!

Talking smack to the fallen Mideon, furious about what Taker had done to him, Big Show wrapped his hand around Mideon's throat once again, delivering another vicious chokeslam to Mideon's limp body!

As Mideon lie helpless on the mat, Big Show walked over to a jar that was sitting at the edge of the ring. Picking up a jar, Big Show unscrewed the lid, plucking out an eyeball — an eyeball that belonged to Mideon, which he carried around with him everywhere he went. Sticking his huge fingers into the glass jar, Big Show squeezed the eye until it turned into pure mush … and shoved it into the mouth of the fallen Mideon!

Holding him in place, Big Show made Mideon taste all of it, as he kicked and squirmed, desperately trying to get away!

Take a microphone from the ring announcer, Big Show, who wasn't quite yet ready to get on the stick, then ran from the ring rope and dropped a vicious elbow right into Mideon's chest!

His aggression purely showing, Big Show put the mic to his mouth and demanded, "Ahh! The Lord of Darkness! You better come out here and talk to me, because you're the only one who can save him from being torn from limb to limb! And Kane, don't think I've forgotten about your burnt, lanky ass, either. You two big goofs come down to this ring right now, I'll take both of you on, right here, right now!"

Walking around the ring, kicking Mideon's arms to his sides, Big Show didn't have to wait too long, because that gong, the only one like it in the company, struck, and Taker's music played throughout the arena.

As the Jacksonville Memorial Arena lights suddenly dimmed, the Phenom, in a faintly lit room somewhere in the arena, spoke to the Big Show from over the Titantron.

"Go ahead, Big Show! Finish it! Because what you fail to realize is that Mideon believes in a cause. And because he believes so strongly, he will pay the ultimate price. But, you will come face to face with your destiny, in time. But first, I have to skin a snake. In one week's time, at No Mercy UK, I will meet Austin, and I will take his title, and he will pay the ultimate sacrifice. And the eye that you just destroyed, which belonged to Mideon, when we do come face to face, maybe I'll take your eye, and give it to Mideon for his loyalty. Big Show, you will rest in peace."

As Taker's visual left the Titantron, the Big Show yelled out again, and just like he said he was going to do, he picked Mideon back up, and delivered one more gut wrenching chokeslam!

As the referees ran to the ring, trying to save the helpless Ministry member, he swatted them away with his huge hand! He was incensed. He wanted either Kane or Taker, both really, and he wasn't getting either one of them!

Stepping back over the top rope, screaming, "That was the last damn straw!" Big Show rushed to the back, no doubt in search for either, Kane, the Undertaker, or even both!

* * *

><p>As the main event was about to get underway, Stephanie, leaving her office, walked to the locker room of the Ministry with a huge smile on her face, because she knew that Kane, X-Pac, and the Big Show were about to walk right into her trap.<p>

Knocking on the Ministry's locker room door, Stephanie heard Paul Bearer walk to the door, opening it. Once she entered, the confused fat man asked, "What in the hell are you doing here?"

Taker, looking up from his seat, just as surprised to see Stephanie as Paul was, just stared at his wife, as she sat down in her husband's lap, saying, "Oh, nothing," wrapping her arms around Taker's neck, who looked extra delicious to her in his wrestling gear. Kicking her legs out over her husband's lap, Stephanie said, "I just came to watch this last match with you guys, you know?"

Paul, who looked confused as ever, because Stephanie never hung out in the locker room with the Ministry, since this wasn't a place for a woman of her caliber, sat back down in his chair as Taker, curious himself, rubbing his chin hair, tried to figure out why exactly Stephanie was so extra cheery.

As X-Pac's music hit, everyone focused their attention on the monitor in the room.

The main event saw the WWF Tag Team Champions, Kane and X-Pac, defending their tag team titles against Ken Shamrock and Mankind.

The latter of the two, despite their very different fight styles and techniques, Shamrock, more of a submission specialist, with great in-ring awareness, meshed fairly well with the brute nature of Mankind. The match honestly went back and forth between the two teams.

While Mankind and Kane, once tag team partners and champions themselves, battled outside of the ring, X-Pac had a fallen Shamrock pinned down in the corner, about to deliver his patented Bronco Buster, but Shamrock, just barely, moved out of the way of the running D-Generation-X member, causing X-Pac to go crotch first into the bottom turnbuckle.

While X-Pac was holding his manhood in pain, and Shamrock, down on the matt, attempting to regain his breath, running down the ramp came Bad Ass Billy Gunn! Sliding into the ring, Billy began stomping away at the helpless X-Pac, with the referee having no choice but to ring for the bell in a disqualification!

As Billy continued to pound away on X-Pac, who was attempting to cover up from the blows to the head and back he was receiving, the crowd stood to their feet and began cheering, because X-Pac's friend and lone surviving DX member, Road Dogg Jesse James, ran down to the ring, as well, and began assaulting Bad Ass!

The two former tag team partners and best friends fought back and forth with each other, tooth and nail, until Road Dogg got the upper hand, juking and jiving and knocking Bad Ass straight on his famed butt!

Shamrock, who had been in the corner attempting to regain his wind, realizing that Billy had potentially cost him and Mankind the tag titles, once again, entering that zone he famous for going into, began yelling at the top of his lungs!

Flipping Billy onto his stomach, Kenny grabbed his ankle, twisting it harshly, screaming out as he did so. Wrenching on the ankle of Gunn, Road Dogg continued to stomp away at the tapping wildly Billy, getting his revenge for all the things Gunn had done to he and X-Pac over the past few weeks.

On the outside, Kane had taken out Mankind by introducing him into the steel steps, and when the Big Red Machine saw all the carnage in the ring, specifically X-Pac lying motionless on the canvas, he grabbed the kicking Road Dogg by the neck, and delivered a thunderous chokeslam!

Kenny, seemingly not paying attention to anyone or anything, except the ankle of Billy Gunn, and how to break it, was then grabbed around the neck, as well, and with one huge motion, lifted Kenny high into the air, and delivered a harsh chokeslam to the "World's Most Dangerous Man", as well!

Back in the locker room, Farooq and Bradshaw, who were watching all the carnage on the small monitor, patiently waiting for the perfect moment to strike, suddenly jumped up from of their metal folding chairs, but folded the chairs together, taking them with them, as they did so, telling Taker and the rest of the Ministry, "We'll be back."

As Stephanie wriggled her fingers and said, "Bye" vigorously, still with her arms wrapped around her husband, Paul Bearer looked on shockingly, asking, "Where in the hell are they going?" not knowing that the Acolytes had their own set of plans outside the Ministry's as a whole. Paul, looking over at Taker to see if he was going to say anything, Taker simply looked on baffled, and he was never baffled.

Back in the ring, Kane picked up his fallen friend X-Pac almost as if he were an infant. Placing his under the bottom ring rope, Kane was about to carry his friend out of the arena, but "WELL! WELL IT'S THE BIG SHOW!" came crashing through the arena.

Kane, stopping in his tracks in the middle of ring, stood motionless, as the Big Show, who promised to get his hands on either Kane or the Undertaker before the night was over, made his way down the ramp, but as he got in the middle of it, Bradshaw and Farooq, armed with those metal chairs, ran in full force and whacked Big Show in the back and the head with them, instantly knocking the Big Man motionless on the ramp way!

Reacting to the chair shots, Stephanie grimaced, scrunching up her face, and saying, "Ooh. Aah. That had to hurt," very sarcastically.

As Taker turned his head and looked at his wife curiously, who was looking on at the monitor innocently, Farooq and Bradshaw, now that they had the Big Show down, ran into the ring, and started fighting Kane! The Big Red Machine, however, was more than capable of handling both men, but when Kane attempted a double chokeslam on both of them, Farooq delivered a hard kick to the groin, instantly making Kane fall to his knees.

Kicking away at the Big Red Machine, Bradshaw grabbed and held Kane by the arms, while Farooq picked up one of the discarded chairs, and hit Kane squarely in the head with it … but Kane didn't fall!

Swaying, Bradshaw ordered Farooq to hit Kane once again, and while the announcers, Kevin Kelly and Michael Cole, screamed "No!" on their headsets, Farooq delivered another rousing chair shot to the head of Kane, this time, making him fall onto his side. As the camera zoomed in to the fallen monster, blood could be seen forming at the top of Kane's mask!

The Acolytes were just about to celebrate, Heat almost being out of airtime, but as the fans began to scream loudly again, the Big Show, who was supposed to be down and out, had surprsingly, despite the chair shots, made it back to his feet.

Bradshaw and Farooq, appearing as two deer caught in headlights, quickly began stomping away at the Big Show who slid under the ring rope, but Show, fueled by rage, wanted revenge!

Quickly fighting off both men, swatting them and their weapons away, back in the locker room, as Big Show was about to deliver a chokeslam to Farooq, Taker quickly got up from his seat, sitting Stephanie to the side, ordering for the rest of the Ministry, the Brood and the recently beaten and in pain Mideon, to "Come on."

Paul, wobbling right behind them, offered one last glance at Stephanie, who shrugged as if she didn't have a clue to what was going on.

Back in the ring, the Big Show had delivered a huge chokeslam to Farooq!

A crawling Bradshaw, who had been knocked down by one of Show's huge blows, was now attempting to pick up one of the fallen steel chairs from the ring mat, but Show's huge foot stepped on the top it, not allowing Bradshaw to retrieve the weapon.

Shaking with pure rage, the Big Show screamed out in anger, holding his huge open hand in the air, signaling for the chokeslam again. With the ring literally littered with bodies, and Bradshaw pleading with the monster of a man, the Big Show grabbed Bradshaw around his neck, lifting him up into the air, but the arena suddenly went dark again.

Taker's gong was heard throughout the arena once more, as the Prince of Darkness was on his way down to the ring, as well, but before he could make it down the aisle, with Paul Bearer right by his side, the Brood, and an obviously limping Mideon, ran down to the ring from the other side of the ramp, assaulting the Big Show!

As Taker made his way up the steel steps, raising his hands and the lights, he carefully stepped into the ring, watching as the Big Show was being beaten down by the Ministry.

As the Ministry, had the big man down to one knee, the Brood holding one arm, while Mideon and Bradshaw held the other, with Farooq struggling to get off the mat, Taker ominously picked up the chair that Bradshaw once had.

Stalking the Big Show slowly, Taker picked up the chair and was about to deliver a shot straight to the head of the Show, but Mankind, who had been lying outside, ran back inside, attempting to stop the melee.

Taker, having an incredible sixth sense, because just as he was about to hit the Big Show with it, he whipped around effortlessly, and whacked Mankind right in the head with it, causing the crowd and the announcers to "Ooh" at the sound of cranium hitting metal!

Still being held by the Ministry, although he was trying to power out of their grasp, Taker turned his attention back to the Big Show, and with no remorse, no conscience, with Paul Bearer on the outside encouraging him to do so, Taker brought the chair right down onto the Big Show's head, as well, the giant falling lifelessly onto the mat!

As Taker looked around, surveying the damage in the ring, Stephanie backstage, smiled wildly, her trap working perfectly.

As Sunday Night Heat was going of the air, Michael Cole on broadcast said, "Somebody's has to stop the Undertaker's campaign of terror! Will it be Stone Cold Steve Austin? We'll find out tomorrow night on Raw!"


	48. X-Pac Speaks Up

After the show, when Mark was all washed up and back in his streets clothes, he and Stephanie drove back to the hotel. There was a very weird silence between the two, with Mark mostly concentrating on the road, offering small glimpses at Stephanie here and there, while Mrs. Calaway was absolutely beaming.

Everything had worked out for them tonight, and it was all thanks to her. The feeling of accomplishment was top tier for her right now.

_"Had X-Pac never disrespected me, none of that would have never happened,"_ Stephanie rationalized.

The marks were outside of the hotel, as usual, but this time, Stephanie paid them absolutely no attention whatsoever. She was getting used to them being outside the hotel now. Going upstairs to their room, the first thing Mark did was crash in the bed. Even if he hadn't officially wrestled a match tonight, he was still exhausted. Constantly traveling, wrestling, putting your body on the line day in and day out, night after night, had a definite effect on the athletes, whether they were standing up or sitting down.

And while Steph accompanied him in the bed, they really didn't say a lot to each other; they mostly cuddled in each other arms, once again, enjoying the feel of one another. Eventually, however, they both decided to go out and get something to eat. Steph had overheard one of the Divas talking about a hot Caribbean restaurant on the other side of town that sounded to die for, so, after another shower and change of clothes, they drove to the restaurant, this time, Stephanie behind the wheel, although Mark did make a chauvinistic wisecrack about women drivers.

The restaurant, _The_ _Bahamian Groove_, was packed. There seemed to be a good group of eclectic people all around, of all ethnicities and races, enjoying themselves and their meals. Parking the car and getting out, Mark put on his chameleon like sunglasses. He hated being a big draw in places like this, which is why when he wasn't married, he mainly kept a very low profile. Being married to Stephanie however, brought him out of that very low profile.

Walking up to restaurant, which was an old house at one point, renovated completely, with a beautiful, and quite large wrap around patio, with plenty of tables on them, Steph could smell the wonderful aromas of food coming from the restaurant. Then, a woman with natural hair, obviously of Caribbean orient welcomed them.

"Waa gwaan! Welcome to _The_ _Bahamian Groove_. I'm Martina. Pleasure to have you both tonight. Can I get you two a table?"

Taken aback, but in a good way, about Martina's strong Jamaican accent, Steph smiled and said, "Um, well, we've heard a lot of good things about the place, so yeah, I guess you can get us a table. Is there any way we could sit on the patio? It's so beautiful out tonight."

Smiling, picking up two menus, Martina said, "You're just in time mi lady. We have only one table left on the patio tonight. Busy night for _Bahamian Groove_. Follow me, will you? My, you are a pretty woman. Very lucky, man."

Mark, never one to truly take a compliment with a smile, simply nodded in return, as Stephanie playfully elbowed him in his side.

Smiling, Martina sat them at a table which overlooked the pristine water, the nighttime stars twinkling brightly overhead. Steph was very intrigued about Martina's lineage, her beauty absolutely striking.

Martina regaled how her parents were both immigrants from Jamaica and Trinidad, how she grew up in Jamaica in a large extended family, how she and her family moved to the US when she was six, and how they eventually combined their two country's distinct tastes to create _The_ _Bahamian Groove_.

Afterwards, Mark and Steph looked over the hefty menu. Their had to be at least sixty different options for drinks alone. While Steph, after her incident and hangover in California, was initially going to get a water, Mark convinced her to try a drink or two with him. While he settled for a Carib Beer, Steph settled for a Tequila Sunrise, with Mark replying, "That's the name of Konnan's finisher in WCW."

Steph, hating to hear anything about the competition, especially after they intentionally tired to put her family out of business, settled for an "Oh, fascinating," while Mark clearly smirked.

After getting their drinks and ordering their food, Mark looked over at Stephanie and said, "You're a little devil, you know that?"

Sipping on her drink, which was actually pretty good, Steph asked nonchalantly, "Me?"

Smiling, Mark nodded and replied, "Yeah, you."

Looking around quite innocently, holding her hands up, as if she didn't have a clue as to what he was talking about, Steph, sounding hurt, said, "Why, Mark Calaway, why would you ever say that? I think I'm been nothing but a little angel. Why … my … my feelings are positively hurt."

Drinking his beer, and leaning back in his chair, cool as a cucumber, Mark said without a care, just low enough to alarm her and not bring attention to himself, "Something else is going to be hurting if you keep being the little she-devil you naturally are."

Eyes widening, their food came right in the middle of their conversation. Taking a bite of the delicious chicken and rice Steph had ordered for herself, she looked up carefully to see that Mark, instead of eating his food, was staring a hole right through her. Attempting to eat, Steph continued to feel that white hot stare being casted upon her, until she finally gave up and asked, "Ok, I give up. What is it?"

Feeling like he had her, Mark put his legs of the chair back on the ground, leaned up and asked, "So what did you tell the Acolytes tonight?" Smiling, Steph bit her chicken, sipped some of her drink, with a smile in between, and asked, "So you really want to know the truth?"

Mark, looking around, as to say, "Uh, duh," Steph finally answered, "Fine, I'll tell you. I was walking around the arena looking for my mom and dad. You told me I could talk to them, so I brought my mom a present for Mother's Day, but I couldn't find her. As I was talking to a member of production, X-Pac, quite pissed, walked up on me, pinning me against a table on the wall, demanding that I tell him of your whereabouts. I told him no, but that if you wanted him, _you'd_ find _him_. Words were exchanged, and naturally, as your wife, I love you, I went and found Billy Gunn."

Sipping her drink again, looking up, Mark was still staring at her, so she continued, "I found Billy. I may have stretched the truth a little when I told him that X-Pac said he was going to kick his butt, but he shouldn't have threatened me. So, after that, I think I may have, just a little bit, stretched the truth, just a teeny little bit, when I told Farooq and Bradshaw that X-Pac said he could kick of the Ministry's … you know … butts, and since I saw what you did to the Big Show on a monitor, I figured that we could … you know … maybe take out three birds with one stone, and that's what happened. I kinda knew the Big Show was looking for you and Kane, so yeah, it all worked out."

Honestly intrigued by her general deviousness, Mark finally took a bite of his food, not saying anything for a moment. At least a minute went by before Mark finally said flatly, "Ok."

Stunned, Stephanie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew for sure that Mark was going to have something to say, and while she wanted him to be proud of her, she could never pinpoint his response. Skeptical of his one word answer, Steph made positively sure they were on the same page.

" O .. o … ok?"

Nodding, drinking his beer, Mark, shrugged and said, "Yeah, ok. What's the problem?"

Smiling, relieved that he wasn't mad with her, Steph said widely, "I just figured, even though I don't necessarily have any shame in what I did tonight, that you'd be a little bit upset with me."

Shaking his head, Taker said, "Nope. I'm not."

"Do you mind telling me why?"

"Because, I just knew this day would come. Let me just say this, Steph. You're a McMahon. You've had it in you all along. With that being said, tonight, you impressed me, _but_, and that's a big but, no one in the Ministry just goes and does stuff without running it by me first. I don't let the inmates run the asylum, Steph. Other than that, you're good."

Understanding that her husband was not only the leader of the Ministry, but _now_, one of the leaders of the World Wrestling Federation, therefore his word was law, Steph simply nodded. She didn't want to get anyone in trouble, but she just couldn't help herself tonight. Her thoughts were interrupted when Mark asked, "You liked it tonight, didn't you?"

Not understanding what he truly meant by that, Steph asked him to clarify, to which he said, "You like it … being the authority figure. Well, not necessarily being an authority figure, but being the bad guy … girl. You liked making Billy Gunn, X-Pac, Big Show, and Kane's night hell didn't you? Oh, and don't forget Road Dogg."

Not necessarily answering, Steph stirred her food around for a moment, not really looking up. "You don't have to answer, I know you did. You're a McMahon, Steph, just embrace it."

Shaking her head, trying to rid the thought of being the bad girl, because she honestly didn't think of herself like that, Steph finally replied, "Mark, tonight was different," that pitch in her voice changing her tone again. "X-Pac threatened you. I wasn't about to let that happen. It wouldn't have happened had he not literally back me into a corner. I don't like doing stuff like that. He just … he just pissed me off."

"If that's the case then, why did you target Big Show, too? How don't you know I was just being a dick to him? Why put Billy Gunn in the middle of this? What has Kane and Road Dogg ever done to you? You liked what you did tonight, Stephanie. Since tonight was just Sunday Night Heat, it was just a little test run for you, right? Who knows what you'll have in store for Monday nights."

Knowing he had Stephanie backed into a corner, he simply went back to eating his food, their meal an awkward silence for the rest of it. Initially, Stephanie was completely fine with what she had done tonight, but now, she was feeling very guilty. She wasn't a bad girl. She couldn't even picture herself doing what she did tonight, manipulating the lives other, on a regular basis, but tonight, she did, and now, she was definitely feeling guilty about that.

After they both ate their fill, Mark paid the bill and left a hefty $50 tip for the top notch service they received. They drove back to the hotel pretty quietly, ready to pack for tomorrow. Raw was in Orlando, a two hour drive from Jacksonville, and Mark had to be ready for Austin, both mentally and physically.

When they got back to the hotel, they both decided to wash up and head for bed. Although Mark initially planned to have sex, very rough sex, with Stephanie, in the hopes of bringing out that inner bad girl that she was still hiding inside, he chose not to. He didn't want to force anything on her. He wanted her to admit to herself, all on her lonesome, about who she really was.

The next day, after taking a shower and grooming, was spent re-packing. Raw was going to be sold out once again, and Mark had a lot of things on his mind. In only one week's time, at No Mercy UK, he'd be the new World Wrestling Federation champion. He originally scheduled for the match to take place at Over the Edge in Kansas City, however, he couldn't wait another two weeks to become the man. His patience had completely run thin. His time was now.

The drive to Orlando was pretty long, considering the fact that there was nothing but dead air between Steph and Mark the entire time they were driving. Mark figured that Steph had a lot on her mind, and was still contemplating who she exactly was after their little talk at the restaurant.

Even though Steph claimed to know who she was and what kind of person she was, in his estimation, she really didn't. She was still young. She was only twenty two. Even though she was an adult by law, she was still a kid in a lot of ways. Hell, he was still a kid when he was twenty two. But he was thirty four now, so that meant a lot of more years, knowledge, wisdom, and growth. He knew what you had to do to get on top in this business. It was no different than any other professional sport. A lot of politics were played behind the scenes, a lot of behind the scene deals, which weren't necessarily fair to others, were made, a lot of feelings got hurt, and some guys made it and some guys didn't. It was the way of the land almost.

Being that he had been a professional wrestler, outside of the World Wrestling Federation, for over a decade now, coming up in the territories, he realized that a lot of the people whom he had started out with, weren't necessarily still around, World Wrestling Federation or not. He planned to be around for a long time, and if you wanted to do that, eventually, sooner or later, especially behind the scenes, you had to play the role of the bad guy. It was time for Stephanie to learn that, as well.

Making it to the arena, Taker, being a gentlemen, carried Stephanie's bag into the arena for her. He had a lot of things to do. Since he was always the locker room general, both in an authoritative role and a business one, he had to sit in on production meetings, go over match scheduling, and make sure that Linda McMahon didn't ruin his plans again tonight, which meant arriving to the arena a lot earlier than some of the rest of the talent. If Linda did shoe up tonight, hell was to be paid. He promised Steph that he nor the Ministry were going to lay a finger on her, and he meant that, but of course, there was always a way to go around things.

While he was off doing his own thing, Steph got her hair and makeup done by Gabby, one of the many people WWF hired behind the scenes to make the superstars and Divas look their absolute best, both inside the ring and out. Gabby had been doing Steph's hair and makeup for years now. In fact, for Stephanie's senior prom, Vince had flown Gabby all the way to Greenwich just so she could doll Steph up, so they had known each other for quite a while now. Plus, since Gabby traveled everywhere with the WWF, she and Steph had grown very close to each other.

Sitting in the chair, Gabby asked Steph merrily, running her fingers through her long locks, "So, before I ask what it will be today, Steph, be honest, how's everything going between you and Mark?"

Steph, who happened to be sitting in front of a vanity mirror with lights around it, could see the worry all in Gabby's face. Quite frankly, a lot of people, not just Gabby, were very worried about Stephanie's well-being, and since they all witnessed what Mark had done to her, marrying her in front of the entire world, she knew they had every right to be worried, not just about her, but about their welfare and personal safety, as well.

Even though Steph loved Mark, and she wanted to tell Gabby the truth about that, she knew that she couldn't, so, she did what she said she was going to do.

"Gabby," Steph said looking down at her hands, sounding at solemn as possible. "I don't know. I mean … I don't know … I just can't wait until the whole nightmare is over, you know? I just … Mark has never acted like this … I mean … I don't know, I guess I'm like, why me? I'm kind of Plain Jane-ish. He could literally have any girl back here he wants, Tori, Jackie, Sable, Ivory, I don't know why he chose me."

Brushing her hair softly, Gabby responded, "He's only doing this because of your father. I'm with you. Mark has never acted this way before, and it's scary. I mean, look what he's done to Ryan. By the way, don't call her that. I heard she flipped out on a production guy for calling her that."

Upon hearing that, that Ryan had flipped out on anyone, Stephanie rolled her eyes hard.

_"Of course she did."_

"Kenny is just distraught about the whole thing, honestly," Gabby continued, still playing in Stephanie's hair. "He blames himself, and I told him one day, this is not your fault. It's Mark's fault, and partly Ryan's, you know? Every since she's been around, she always wanted some sort of attention from a man, any man, like that would validate her, and now that she has that man's attention, she's willing to do anything to keep it. The point I'm trying to make is, Steph, don't blame yourself. Blame Mark. I've known the guy for years, even back when you were still in high school, and he never acted like he does now. He's scares me shitless, quite honestly."

Watching her continue to brush her hair in the mirror, Steph asked, only to keep the conversation going, "What do you think I should do? I mean, Gabby, can I tell you something, in confidence?"

"Steph, you know if you tell it to me, then it stays between us. Did I tell your dad you almost lost your virginity your freshman year in college in the back seat of a red Corvette?"

Chuckling, Steph replied, "I hope you didn't … did you?"

"No, but go ahead and tell me. You know we're girls."

Sighing, Steph let it out. "Have you ever done something, and at first, you were fine with it, you were cool, but then, after thinking back on it, you didn't like that decision."

"Yeah, I mean, that's like life, you know? You do some things that you wish you could take back, but you can't. Why, what's going on?"

"You promise not to tell, right?"

"Steph …"

"Ok. Yesterday, at the show in Jacksonville … I kinda set up Billy Gunn, X-Pac, Kane, and Big Show."

Stopping the brushing completely, Gabby looked on at Steph in the mirror and asked, "You did this because …"

"I don't know, I don't know. At first, I was completely fine with it. Mark must've beat up X-Pac at the show in California on Tuesday, then X-Pac literally cornered me yesterday at the show in the hallway, and he threatened Mark, and I don't know what came over me. When Mark ran it back to me, I felt horrible … I feel horrible. I hate I did it honestly, but now that I have, I don't know … please give me some sound advice like you always do, I need it."

Placing her hands on Stephanie's shoulders, Gabby leaned down at her in the mirror, their reflection staring back at them, and told her, "From one good girlfriend to another, if I were you, I'd get out of Mark's life as quickly as possible, at least until the old Mark comes back, which looks like he won't. Because if you don't, he's going to ruin you. Steph, you are not that girl. He wants you to be that girl, and you can't let him change you. If he thinks he has you, then … look at Ryan."

It was amazing to Steph how less than twenty four hours could change so many things for her. Just last night, she was proud of seeing four of the company's top superstars, five if you include Road Dogg, absolutely dismantled, but now … not so much. Mark wanted her to be this woman, this woman who was willing to sacrifice anyone or anything, if not both, for the sake of their marriage, for the sake of being on top, and just to say that you could, and even though she was doing it now, was she taking it too far?

Was Gabby right? What if she wasn't that girl?

* * *

><p>In a room full of superstars, Divas, and official WWF personnel, X-Pac, Kane, Ken Shamrock, Mick Foley, Dan Severn, Val Venis, Goldust, Blue Meanie, Godfather, several of Orlando's finest hoes, "The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman, Chyna, Triple H, Bossman, Test, Big Show, Bob Holly, Jeff Jarret, Owen Hart, Debra, Jacqueline, Sable, Nicole Bass, who was holding Sable's Women's Championship, Tori, Sgt. Slaughter, Tony Garea, Mike Chioda, Earl Hebnar, and many others, along with a camera crew, were all sitting around, anxious to get their point across, talking freely amongst themselves.<p>

The air was thick, however.

People were obviously disgruntled, a small few, like Sable, could obviously care less about why this meeting had been called, but nonetheless, it was time to have a say so about their work environment.

In the back of the room, with Droz leaning against a water cooler, in walked Linda McMahon, along with Pat Patterson and Gerald Briscoe, who hadn't been involved with the day to day aspects of the company since Vince and Shane were taken out on Smackdown! two weeks before, but, the Chief Executive Officer was here, and she was here to address the very large elephant in the room.

"Everyone," a poised Linda stated. "I know you all were busy getting ready for tonight's show, to entertain the fans here in Orlando, however, I feel like this meeting could not wait any longer. Of course, to my left here, we have Mr. Pat Patterson, and to my right, Mr. Gerald Briscoe."

Looking around the room some, Linda continued, "As you all know, they haven't been here much lately with you guys, because quite frankly, they've been at the bedside of both my son Shane, and my husband, Vince, for the past two weeks now.

While many of you may feel that Shane got what he deserved, after his recent actions in the past few weeks, I can't say that I disagree, I know many of you have expressed that what the Undertaker and the Ministry did … Vince did not deserve what he had happened to him, and you're exactly right. And that's why we're here today, to discuss, Mark Calaway. Before we do that however, an update on Shane and Vince. Shane has a bruised tailbone and a broken collarbone, as a result of that Rock Bottom through the announce table."

Clearing her throat, then looking around at the talent, afraid to announce Vince's condition, Linda continued, "As for Vince, your _former_ boss, his condition is a bit more severe, especially when you take in account his age. He is a bit more worse for wear. He has a concussion, but thankfully, he's walking around a little bit better, remembering a lot better than what he was right after the attack from Mark. He has a dislocated shoulder, a bruised clavicle, and a bruised larynx. Right now, it's no telling when he or Shane will be back, operating it on a day to day basis, however …"

"…So what you're basically saying is, until Vince and Shane get back in physical condition, we have old Take to send us all straight to hell, is that what I'm getting Linda?" a very agitated and disgruntled X-Pac interrupted.

To him, Taker had made things personal between them almost a week ago, and he still hadn't had his go around with the Deadman, but listening to Linda, and seeing how demonic Taker had become over the past few months, apparently none of them would.

"Sean, please, I know you're upset, but this will be an open forum once I finish giving this address. Please, allow me to finish first before interrupting. Let's all remain civil about this."

Holding up his hands, wearing a black "WWF Attitude T-shirt" and jogging pants, as to say "go for it", Linda continued.

"As I was saying ladies and gentlemen, Vince and Shane are expected to be out for a number of weeks. The earliest we think they'll be back is late October, early November…"

And the majority did not like that, groaning and speaking up loudly all at once. Everyone, although most of them didn't show it outside, were very aware that Taker was on this power trip, one of which was worse than what Shane had ever went on.

In fact, even when Vince was still in power, that didn't stop Taker and the Ministry from doing whatever the hell it was that they wanted to do, including abducting Stephanie twice, abducting Saphirra three separate times, hanging the Bossman from the Cell at WrestleMania, Taker choking both Sable and Debra in the middle of the ring, holding both of them almost for ransom, and beating up Kenny, Big Show, and Austin. And if three of the toughest men in the company weren't safe, then what did that say about them?

Trying to calm the group back down, Linda held up her hands, with both Pat and Jerry trying to intervene, but to no avail. "Please, please, everyone, please settle down. We can all discuss this like adults," Linda pleaded.

"Un uh, no way Linda. Not this time. If we don't stand up for ourselves now, then when? I'm not the biggest fan of the Bossman, but look what Taker and the rest of those goofy MFers did at Mania! They hung Bossman!" retold X-Pac. "And just last week, Taker singlehandedly tried to end Austin's career, and let's face it Linda, I'm not trying to put down any of the guys and girls in here, but Austin is one of the main reasons why we aren't working for Ted Turner right now, including Taker. And that's real. He tried to take Austin out! He ran you _completely out of the building_! I mean, what's next? Who's next?"

The brass young man did not come back to the company last year for this. If he knew that he was going to work in a totalitarian dictatorship, he would have stayed in WCW to be frank!

Linda, about to speak up again, was again cut off, this time by Sgt. Slaughter, "Linda, I'm with X-Pac here. For Taker to do that after the show had quit running, after the cameras were down, attacking officials, beating up Austin in his own dressing room, stalking you through the arena, that _just shows where his mental state is right now_. He's obsessed with being the champion, and he's going to mow us down, any of us down really, in order to achieve that."

Holding her hands up, in an attempt to appease the superstars, Linda claimed, "Yes, I know this, I know. I know many of you are not looking forward to Mark being your boss until the fall, until we can figure you a way out of this mess, but you have to realize that I'm still the CEO, and I still own a hefty 40% stake within this company, meaning I still have a lot of pull myself, and with that pull, I decided that tonight would be the night to bring in some much needed reinforcement."

Speaking up loudly again, X-Pac shouted, "Well you better be talking the 82nd Airborne, because if that freak of nature comes within one inch of me tonight, it's his dead ass! He jumped me from behind Tuesday at that house show in Cali, oh, and I hate to burst your bubble, Linda, but your baby girl, she ain't no damn baby,_ no more._"

"Sean, what are you talking about. Please …"

Walking up to the front of the room, the guy who seemingly had the most heart and passion in the room, standing face to face with Linda, X-Pac said, "At that house show in San Fran, he jumped me from behind, _Taker_ jumped me from behind, and I got the scar, bandage, and stitches to prove it, all because I came into his dressing room and asked why in the hell he booked me in a handicap match against my own damn tag partner and the Big Show. He jumped me from behind, and Stephanie was right there, and she didn't do a _damn thing about it_! She even mocked me, and Steve Blackman, Brian Christopher, and Scotty were all there, and I know they don't have any problem with vouching for me, either."

Linda, shocked, looking over at the men, who were all sitting next to each other, saw each of them nodding, with Steve even standing up and saying, "Yep, Linda that's what I saw. She even wished us 'luck' on our match, and X-Pac was lying there, bleeding on the floor."

Before she could get word out again, X-Pac interjected once again, "And last night on Sunday Night Heat, I call a damn setup what happened to me and Kane. It just so happens that Steph and I had words in the hallway _right before the show went on_, and I get attacked by Billy Gunn, who was told by Steph, according to the boys, that I said I was going to kick his ass? I ain't never told Steph no shit like that! If anything, if I wanted Billy Gunn to know I wanted to kick his ass, I would have told him to his face! Then what happens? _Out_ comes the Big Show, who has issues with Kane, they're about to square up, mano y mano, and the Acolytes come out from behind with chairs, lay them out, and then comes the Ministry to pick the bones? Naw, Linda, I don't buy coincidences."

Absolutely hurt by what X-Pac was insinuating, Linda asked in shock, "X-Pac … Sean … what … what … what are you trying to say to me?"

"What I just said: Stephanie ain't daddy's little girl _no more_."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Linda didn't have too much longer to think about anything, because Taker, and the rest of the Ministry, sans the Brood, all walked into the room, wrestling gear on, looking every bit of evil that all of them were. Thank God Taker had a snitch lurking in the shadows, waiting to tell him when Linda arrived. He hadn't anticipated this little roster meeting, especially without him, however. Walking into the room, Taker could feel all eyes on him, but he didn't care; Linda was not about to ruin his plans tonight.

Walking up to her, literally towering over her, while X-Pac to his right was rocking back and forth on his feet, Taker turned to his side, pointed to the door, and said very strongly, "You get your ass out of this building right now, and I'll let Shane and Vince live."

Shocked by his bravado, and blatant disrespect, Linda reached back and attempted to slap Taker, but Jerry, who was right behind her, grabbed her hand, while she stared up at him coldly.

Taker, however, had a bit to say about that, as well. Bending his head down over her menacingly, almost causing Linda to shrink up, Taker growled, "Linda, if you touch me, all I have to do is call the Brood, all of whom are in Greenwich, Connecticut right now, and tell them to put an extra hurting on Vince and Shane. I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

Looking around and realizing that Taker was right, the Brood _weren't_ there, Linda, without doing any thinking, made a beeline for the exit, Pat and Jerry right behind her! Looking around the room to see if anyone had any objections to how he was running things, Taker felt a hand grab him around the arm, almost forcefully turning him around. "Take, you go too far this time."

Looking down at the younger superstar, not believing that he actually had the balls to put his hands on him, _literally_, Taker warned, "You put your hands on me again, boy, and you might find yourself in the nearest emergency room."

Almost shaking in his boots from anticipation, X-Pac, hopping back and forth, not caring what the repercussions were, put a finger in Taker's face, almost nose to nose with him now, and said, "Yeah, well, I don't sweat you."

"Oh, you don't?", Taker asked sarcastically.

"Nah, I don't."

"Well, why don't you sweat this," and out of nowhere, Bradshaw, the rough Texan, trying to soften up X-Pac before their big match tonight, threw a right punch to the side of X-Pac's head that almost knocked him unconscious. On the floor crawling, Farooq then stomped X-Pac into the floor. With X-Pac literally lying motionless on the ground, Taker looked around the shocked, and mostly standing room now, and said finally, "Meeting adjourned," before he and the rest of the Ministry walked out of the room as casually as they had entered, while some of the superstars rushed over to help their fallen co-worker.


	49. The Heartbreak Kid Strikes!

After the live showing of the superstars meeting with Linda McMahon from earlier in the day played out for the fans at home, Jim Ross, once again welcomed everyone to the show.

"Hello, everybody, and welcome to another edition of Raw is War! Jim Ross, alongside my broadcast partner, Jerry the King Lawler! We are live from the sold out O-Arena in Orlando, FL, and King, you look a lot better last time I saw you last."

"Yeah, yeah, but look it was at all a misunderstand …"

King didn't have time to finish his statement, because immediately after Raw came on the air, the lights to the arena went out, and that infamous gong was heard throughout.

"Oh, boy, if I know that gong, if that's who I think it is, I would say business has just picked up, folks, right here, right now."

As the Ministry, including Brood, whom Taker had claimed were in Greenwich, and Stephanie, who was wearing a backless lavender top, black pants, and black strappy heels, along with the of course led by the Undertaker, wearing his long flowing black robe, all made their way down to the ring, J.R., informed the fans at home of the chaos that happened after Raw went off the air last Monday night.

"Well, folks, last Monday night, Undertaker was set to beat Stone Cold Steve Austin, after Undertaker unknowingly had Austin compete in a gauntlet match against all the members of the Ministry, but as you can see that quickly just turned into a free for all on Austin. Taker had Austin pinned, he was about to win the title here folks, but Linda McMahon, the wife of chairman, Vince McMahon, had the rest of the WWF locker room storm the ring!

And King, Taker turned absolutely psychotic, chasing Linda tout of the arena, all the way to her car! But because our cameras stopped rolling, our team was only able to get these still shots, and as you can see here, Taker pounding on Linda's limousine door, and after he couldn't get in, he stormed Stone Cold Steve Austin's locker room, and attacked him from behind, after the match!

The two men battled it out relentlessly with each other before being separated! And what you saw on top of the broadcast was the WWF superstars, seemingly all banding together against Undertaker's reign of terror, and I'd say the Phenom has some explaining to do."

Before Taker could even get a word out of his mouth, the O-Arena was filled with chants of "Austin! Austin! Austin! Austin!" Looking around sickened, Paul Bearer, holding the mic up to Taker's lips, ordered the fans to shut up, as Taker finally spoke.

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear, to the people in the back, all the people here, and to everyone within the sound of my voice: _I_ control the World Wrestling Federation now, and _I_ do what _I _want when _I_ want to do it!"

As the camera rolled over Stephanie, who was looking helpless in the ring, JR remarked, "That's sick. Parading Stephanie around like this. Ugh."

"It doesn't matter if you're a dog, cat, male, or female, if you cross the path of the Undertaker, expect to be hurt, and expect to be hurt badly! If you don't believe me, just ask Ken Shamrock, Big Show, Jerry Lawler, hell, you can even ask Stone Cold Steve Austin himself," of course, this brought about heavy boos from the fans.

"And it breaks down like this," Taker continued. "The WWF superstars can have all the meetings they want, they can all collectively get together, and talk amongst themselves all they want to, I don't give a damn. But remember this: the buck starts and stops with me! As far as Austin is concerned, who's nothing more than a coward …" Taker lambasted, as the fans again booed greatly, as JR supplied, "Oh, come on, Austin's far from a coward, Taker knows that."

As he looked around the crowd, clearly irritated with them, Taker continued, "…Nothing more than a coward, let me just say this: one week Austin. That's all you got is one week, because at No Mercy UK, the whole entire world is going to see you lose that World Wrestling Federa—"

Suddenly, the sounds of "Ooh. Ooh. Shawn!", with the letter spelling themselves out on the Titantron played out, and everyone knew that Shawn Michaels, the WWF Commissioner, was once again gracing the WWF and its fans with his presence. As Shawn danced about on stage, the crowd going absolutely wild at the sight of the Heartbreak Kid, Taker and the rest of the Ministry looked on, none too pleased that HBK had interrupted a very important speech the Undertaker was making.

Flipping a microphone upside down, as he music thinned out, the crowd going absolutely nuts for him, Shawn screamed, "What's up, Orlando! HBK is back in the hizousssse!"

As the fans continued to scream HBK, the camera turned back to Taker, who had his arms folded up, looking menacingly at the three time former World Wrestling Federation Champion.

"Pardon, pardon the interruption, oh dead one, but I couldn't help but to hear how you said that _you_ were in charge now, and how the buck started and ended with _you_."

As Paul Bearer mouthed it "It does, now what the hell you want?", the rest of the Ministry, including Taker, looked on omniously, while Steph continued to play the role of damsel in distress, looking around like she about to bolt.

"Yeah, you may think that, but last I checked, your name wasn't Commissioner Undertaker! That title just so happens to belong to me … well … not the Undertaker part … but still, I'm the comish around here, and I'm pretty sure that I'm the one who usually starts that buck to rolling, pally!"

As Taker turned his head, not wanting to hear what Shawn had to say, Commissioner Michaels continued.

"Now, you may have injured off old Shane O'Mac and old the old Vin Man himself, by the way, get well soon, Vin Man," Shawn spoke to the camera, before continuing. "And you might've ran off Linda McMahon earlier today, but you won't get rid of me so easily, because tonight, Deadman, not only has Linda bestowed in me the power of the special reinforcer, but I have quite the laundry list of surprises for _you_, and since I know you love a good surprise, we'll get on with it, but first, a few church announcements!"

As Shawn was about to make his declarations, Debra, wearing a very short and revealing business suit, walked out on stage to Jeff Jarret's music. Waving to all the fans, Debra got a huge reception, before taking the microphone from Shawn, and then kissing him on the cheek.

Shawn, who looked as if he would have shot to the moon from the kiss alone, holding up a clipboard and a pen that he had brought out on stage with him, went about making his statements, as a smiling Debra held the mic up to Shawn's lips.

Even a few cat calls throughout the arena could be heard before Shawn cleared his throat and said, "Ah, time for a few church announcements. Since Shaney Boy vacated the European Championship, it has been inactive. Well, I say that's just not right, so let me tell you what I'm going to do. Starting right here tonight, in Orlando, Florida, we're going to have ourselves a European Championship Tournament to crown a new European Champion!"

As the crowd lit up, the sound of having a tournament starting in their home city of Orlando pleasing, Taker looked down at Shawn with pure hatred in his eyes, while HBK continued.

"Eight guys are going to start off, until it finally gets down to two men, who will be crowned the new European Champion at Over the Edge in two weeks in Kansas City. Now, just who to start off this tournament with?"

Tapping his pen against his head, Shawn sarcastically, as a mental lightbulb going off in his head, Shawn exclaimed, "By George, I think I've got it! Tonight, in the first match of the quarter finals, one on one, how about we evoke an old feud between the Ministry's own, Edge vs. Gangrel!"

As Gangrel and Edge looked at each other astounded, not believing that Michaels, who had literally seized control of the company away from Taker, was making them compete against each other, Shawn continued saying, "And how about we do this: two more Ministry members, Mideon vs. Christian, how about we throw their names in the pot as well!"

Mideon, who took a beating the night prior from the Big Show, looked on warily at Christian, who, as always, continued to look on sternly.

"The other four names that will go into this tournament, Goldust will take on Jeff Jarrett, and Debra, your good buddy, Val Venis, will take on Billy Gunn all right here, tonight!"

As the crowd cheered, excited about the announcements, Shawn continued, "All man, I love this stuff, don't you? Ok, now down to the fun parts. I saw how Chyna 'inadvertently' tripped Big Boss Man in his tag team match with Triple H last week, so I'm going to give Boss Man the chance to shove that nightstick right were the sun don't shine, because tonight, one on one, Big Boss Man, will be competing against no one other than, Chyna! And who's to say, that nightstick might very well end up in China. Just don't do anything that I wouldn't do, if you know what I mean."

Checking another match off his list, while Debra continued to hold the microphone in place, Shawn went on to say, "And, I know you're going to love this one, boys and girls. The Big Show, I know he's been dying to get his hands on the big bad Undertaker, but I'm going to do you one even better, because tonight Big Show, you're going to be taking on the meanest, baddest opponent you've ever faced in your entire career. The 10th, 11th, and 12th Wonder of the World … the little tubby fat Paul Bearer."

As Paul fainted in the arms of Mideon, as King screamed out, "What!?" over announcements, Shawn informed, "And I've got news for you, Paul Bearer: if any of the Ministry interfere in this match, the Undertaker 86's his title shot at No Mercy UK, huh, you like that?"

Continuing with his matches, Shawn then announced, "God, I love this job, I love this job, this is so much fun, check there, check there, now! We gotta have the chicks. You gotta have the chicks. We love the chicks, don't we? I know I do. Now, for the Women's WWF Championship, Sable, will take on the lovely, and beautiful, and talented, Debra, but this will be in an Evening Gown Match."

Rowling his R's, as Debra smiled on happily, Shawn announced, "And Sable, if you fail to show up, I know you're used to taking it all of, but if you don't show up for this one, I'm going to strip you of the one thing you haven't taken off, and that's the WWF Women's Championship!"

Kicking it up another notch, Shawn added, "And, since I've grown so much respect for "The World's Most Dangerous Man", Ken Shamrock, over the past few months, I'm going to be giving him the opportunity of a lifetime. Tonight, since he and Mankind seem to have such a mutual line of respect for one another, why not pair those together, and add them into the tag team title match tonight, with the Acolytes, and the team of Kane and X-Pac, how's that sound?"

As the Acolytes were going ballistic in the ring, pissed that they had to not only try to win the titles against one team, but two teams now, Shawn also added, "And speaking of Ken Shamrock, Taker baby, you might've ran Linda off here tonight, but before she left, she told me to inform you that as CEO, she can use up to three executive decisions in one year, and using her first executive decision, she's adding Ken Shamrock into your match with the Rattlesnake this Sunday at No Mercy UK. Oh, and she's going to be the special guest referee!"

Continuing to stare at Shawn with literal hatred in his eyes, his old foe back to his old tricks again obviously, Taker stood there, taking it all in, because much like the Acolytes now, Taker now had two opponents to defeat in order to get his championship back!

"And last but not least, since you want to get your hands on old Stone Cold so badly Taker, you and my good friend, Triple H, will be partnered together in a tag team match to take on, not only Stone Cold Steve Austin, but the Rock, as well, and dare I say, that's going to be a fun, yet chaotic match. And who better to referee that fun, yet chaotic match?"

Tapping his fingers against his head again, getting another bright idea, Shawn said, "How about the one, the only, the headliner, the show stopper, the main event, HBK himself?! Now somebody hit my music!"

As Shawn's "Sexy Boy" came back through the arena loud and clear, Shawn dancing all over the lovely Debra, inside the ring, nothing but sour faces could be found.

Shawn had literally upstaged Taker, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it!

As Shawn escorted Debra off the stage, Taker and the Ministry looked around confused as ever, looking to their leader for answers. As HBK's music faded, Stephanie, who couldn't believe what she had heard, that somehow, both Vince and Shane were both injured, and Taker had something to do with it, walked over and grabbed the microphone away from, putting it to her lips, as HBK's music faded.

"What did you did you do?" Stephanie demanded from Taker, who looked up in the sky, his hood falling off his head, revealing his long, wavy black hair.

Closing his eyes, fearing he was about to lose all control, Taker sucked in air, before bringing his face down to Stephanie's again.

First, Linda had dared to show up to the arena tonight, HBK was playing politics, and now Stephanie had inadvertently learned about Shane and Vince were on the shelf!

"What did you do to my brother and to my dad, _Mark_?" Stephanie demanded.

Counting to ten to himself, Taker could tell that this was not part of Stephanie's act. She was truly upset and she wanted answers! "You are the most vile, disgusting, piece of crap I have ever met in my entire life and …"

Much like Bradshaw, Stephanie slapped Taker as hard as she could, his face not moving an inch, however!

Storming around him now, Stephanie, feeling like she had finally been pushed over the edge, told Taker, "Why don't you just go the hell!", before she dropped the mic, and departed through the bottom ring rope, trouncing up the steel ramp not even bothering to look back.

As Taker stood in the ring, boil boiling, pissed about how his entire night had just gone down the shitter in less than ten minutes, Raw took a commercial break.

* * *

><p>As Steph stomped her way through the backstage area, furious that Mark had allegedly done something to her family, apparently including running Linda off from the arena tonight, knowing how badly Steph had wanted to speak with her mother, wanting to give her the Mother's Day Present she picked out for her, a million things were also running through her mind.<p>

How could she be so naive and stupid to think that Mark had actually loved her?

_"He doesn't love me. He only loves what being married to a girl with the last name McMahon can do for him! Has he even ever told me he's loved me?" _

Steph also thought about what she had done to Big Show, Foley, X-Pac, Billy Gunn, and Road Dogg last night, and now it was eating her alive. It was just like everyone had warned her. Mark was no good.

In fact, considering what she had done last night on Sunday Night Heat, she was slowly becoming no better than Mark himself! He was using her and it was finally time for her to get the hell out of Dodge!

Kicking open the door to the office, Stephanie attempted to grab her bag, attempting to leave out of the arena as quick as possible, but right behind her was a 328-pound man, and he was not happy in the least, especially after Stephanie had embarrassed him in front of the entire world.

Grabbing her bag from behind, almost taking her arm with it, and flinging it to the wall, with it falling to the floor with an emphatic and loud,"Umph!", Taker grabbed Steph about the shirt, but this time, she wasn't having his abuse. She began fighting him with all her might!

She clawed at his face and head, and although Mark quickly caught her hands, holding her by the wrists, maneuvering her down onto the couch, Steph still attempted to put up a fight! They were making up so much noise a production assistant, not knowing what was causing the uproar coming from inside the room, burst through the door, while Taker was still lying on top of Stephanie, his weight almost crushing her.

Looking towards the door, Taker barked, "Get the hell out of here!", while still holding Stephanie down.

Her hair all over her face, her breath coming in large hisses; Stephanie was absolutely beside herself with anger!

This was the man that she thought she loved, was the man she _knew_ she was in love with, but here he was yet again, after she finally thought that she had finally reached him, snatching what little affection he had actually shown her away!

… And she was tired of playing his mental masturbation games.

"GET THE HELL OFF OF ME!" Stephanie screamed.

Shaking her into the couch, tears falling down the side of her face, just like a few weeks ago, Taker tried regain some ground rules with her, but this time, he was far more cutting. "Who in the hell do you think you are? Talking to me like that? I should …"

Stopping himself before he threatened her with bodily harmed, Taker closed his eyes again, attempting to compose himself before finally saying again, "Maybe Saphirra was right. Maybe I should've sent your ass back, instead."

Not allowing Taker to intimidate her, Steph leaned her head up into his and stated, "You know what, maybe you should have!"

Pulling himself off of her, walking around the room, attempting to calm himself down, not believing how his entire night had suddenly been shot straight to hell, on top of the fact that his wife was now pissed at him, Taker leaned against the wall, beating it with his fists, pounding so hard he almost put a dent in it.

On top of having to team with Triple H tonight, and there was no love lost between he and Hunter, he also had to fight two other men just in order to become WWF Champion again in just one week time. And the coup de grace was that Linda was going to be the special guest referee!

Taker just couldn't believe it. Sitting up on the couch now, her shirt twisted in all sorts of directions, Steph asked, with tears in her eyes, "Mark, what did you do to Shane? What did you do to my dad? Why, why …"

"There's no why, Stephanie! I told you, I'm going to do whatever it is I have to do in order to re-secure _my_ World Wrestling Federation Title! As far as I'm concerned, I did you a favor. I don't even see why you're so concerned with Shane; he's already proven he didn't give a damn about you in the past! And as far as Vince goes, he had it coming! Don't think I had forgotten about last year, Stephanie, no, not by a long shot. The sins of the father Stephanie … remember that."

Letting the tears roll down her face, Steph asked with hurt seeping all through her body, "So, you were just using me then? So you really don't love me? So this ring you gave me doesn't mean a damn thing? It's just a ring, right?"

Turning his head to look at Stephanie, who honestly looked defeated, Taker looked down at her, not making a move to her, not touching her, saying simply, "If that's what you honestly think, maybe you should go back to Greenwich."

Turning his back, not wanting to see any more tears sliding down her face, Taker ordered, "Do not leave this room," before he opened and closed the door behind him, leaving Stephanie, once again, all alone.


	50. An HBK Kinda Night

"We're back live, ladies and gentlemen, and if you're just joining us, the Undertaker and the Ministry, along with a frightened Stephanie McMahon, were all out here to the ring here, King, when HBK, Commissioner Shawn Michaels, crashed the party! HBK really went into high gear, making some very high caliber matches, but it's what happened afterwards, that still's got me going."

"Right, right, HBK really shook things up for the Ministry," King proclaimed. "And watch what happens when Stephanie McMahon finds out what the Undertaker did to Vince and Shane!"

As the replay of Stephanie slapping Taker played out, JR continued, "And I say, good for her! She doesn't want to be married to that man, for lack of better terms. And now, Commissioner Michaels has promised, on top of a European Championship Tournament, the bracket is right on your screen here folks, he's promised us Big Boss Man vs. Chyna, Ken Shamrock and Mankind, taking on the Acolytes, and Kane and X-Pac, for the tag titles tonight, and King, your favorite …"

"I can't believe it, Jim Ross! Puppies! Woof! Woof! Woof! Come to Papa!"

"Sable vs. Debra in an Evening Gown Match to determine the Women's Championship, as well as the biggest shocker of the night, the Undertaker and Triple H, teaming up to take on the Rattlesnake, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the Rock, and Shawn's going to be the special guest referee! Have we ever had a bigger night than the one right here?"

"JR, my goosebumps got goosebumps! I like it!"

As Edge made his way down to the ring first, for the first match of the quarterfinals, against his good buddy, Gangrel, the lights to the arena were all out, and that hype music of the Brood played throughout. Next out of the bottom pits of the stage came Gangrel, holding that goblet of red liquid.

Licking his tongue all over his teeth, exposing his tongue ring, Gangrel walked down to the ring, stood backwards to the ring post, drank that red brew, and spewed it all over the crowd! Amped for this match, both men realizing what was in store for both in them, potentially being crowned the new European Champion, they both met briefly in the center of the ring, eye to eye, nose to nose. And then, a sign of good sportsmanship; Gangrel stuck his hand out to Edge, who shook it for good measure, but after that, the fight was on!

Circling around each other, feeling each other out, the two Ministry members went at it, Gangrel easily catching Edge in a Side Headlock.

"JR, while we're a little low in the action, what did you think about that meeting that the WWF superstars held earlier in the day with Linda McMahon?"

"Well King," JR announced. "I think it's quite obvious. No one wants any parts of the Undertaker. I don't know what happened to him, but last week was nothing but scary. You weren't here …"

"Yeah, unfortunately…"

"How's your back there, tiger?"

"Not good," King attempted to chuckle off.

"Didn't think so, but King, going back there in the that locker room, trying to calm Taker down, you could have just seen the look in that man's eyes. We've talked about how he's lost it in the recent weeks, but King, he's not all there."

"Well, JR, that's how you get when you're obsessed with winning the World Wrestling Federation Title. Taker obviously blames Vince McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin for him not being the champion, and this Sunday, at No Mercy UK, Taker's got to fight off two men to become champion!"

"And what a match that'll be, Ken Shamrock vs. the Undertaker, vs. the Rattlesnake … and look here!"

Gangrel, who had been so far getting the better of Edge, stood up in front of him, once they both got off the mat after a double leg takedown from behind, and Edge, taking exception to his Brood buddy making a fool out of him, pushed Gangrel in the chest. Gangrel, not liking that Edge had shoved him, tried to turn away, but Edge turned him back around forcefully, with Gangrel delivering a powerful right to the jaw, dropping Edge to the mat.

"Boy, Commissioner Michaels really stuck it to the Ministry tonight huh, King, making Gangrel and Edge be the precursor to the rest of the European Championship Tournament. He could've had all of the Ministry fight each other, I quite frankly wouldn't gave a damn."

"Hey!" King exclaimed at JR's bravado. "And you know, JR, speaking of the Ministry, going back to that meeting, remember what X-Pac said. X-Pac eluded that Stephanie McMahon, who slapped the taste out of her husband's mouth, the Undertaker, just a few short minutes ago, he said out of his own mouth that Stephanie was in on the Ministry's plan to take over the World Wrestling Federation!"

"And I … I don't know about that. I think X-Pac may have gotten it wrong there. The lovely Stephanie McMahon, has been nothing but a pawn in the Undertaker's bid for the World Wrestling Federation against Vince McMahon. Undertaker abducted Stephanie, married her against her will, now he's parading her around like a piece of meat, and that's just sickening as far as I'm concerned."

"Eh, I don't know about all that now, JR."

Shocked that King suddenly had a change of heart, JR, sounding very surprised asked, "What do you mean you don't know about that? You saw what he did to Linda McMahon earlier today, he tried to concuss an already concussed Austin last week, and after the show went off air …"

"Yeah, but JR, you have to look at the things from the Taker's perspective. He feels he's been wronged, cheated out the World Wrestling Federation Championship, and you know he was, JR, admit it."

"I can admit Taker lost fair and square to Austin back in December in a Buried Alive Match at Rock Bottom…"

"That Kane helped Austin to win…"

"Boy, I guess that Big Splash you took last week from Viscera has clearly jogged your memory, but in any event, this match continues."

Back in the ring, Gangel, who had taken control of the match, was setting Edge up for the Impaler, Edge, who had the move well scouted, reversed it, before pushing Gangrel into the turnbuckle. As Gangrel groggily turned around, Edge ducked underneath Gangrel, toppling him over, while Edge grabbed Gangrel's tights for the pinfall. With the ref never seeing Edge holding the tights, he was then declared the victor of the bout.

As Tony Chimel announced Edge as the winner, Gangrel, who was sitting on his knees, with his hands on his hips, could not believe that his own tag team partner had screwed him the way out of a victory!

As Edge was crawling backwards, having his hand raised in the air in victory, he and Gangrel both got to their feet at the same time. Gangrel, the leader of the Brood, in complete shock that Edge had cheated to beat him, pushed him him hard in the chest.

As Edge attempted to explain himself, Gangrel looked around the crowd for a moment, and out of the blue, tackled Edge, bringing the two men down onto the canvas in a brawl, the two rolling back and forth with each other, seemingly trying to take each other's heads off!

As a slew of referees ran down to the ring, trying to regain some peace between the two, a strong voice stopped both men, and the referees who were attempting to break up the melee!

"Gangrel! Edge!" Taker called out from over the arena.

As soon as both men heard the sound of Taker's voice speaking to them, they immediately stopped fighting, looking around clueless about Taker's presence. He wasn't anywhere near the the stage itself, however, one thing was for very certain: he was somewhere, and he wasn't happy, either.

"Once again, you both have failed me, meaning both of you are going to be punished for your disobedience, for your insolence, at the hands of Lord of Darkness. Gangrel, Edge, backstage, now!"

As Edge and Gangrel continued to look around, untangling themselves from one another, JR quipped, "Looks like Gangrel and Edge are being called back to the demonic principle's office."

"Uh oh," King warned.

Getting off the canvas, both men, tired and weary from their fight, walked back up the ramp, clearly blaming each other for the fight, going backstage to face whatever Taker had in store for them.

* * *

><p>The next few matches were high in caliber.<p>

A reluctant Chyna, accompanied to the ring by Triple H, did not want to take on the Big Boss Man nor his nightstick, but she was being forced into doing so by Commissioner Michaels.

Big Boss Man, who was ready for the match himself, feeling Chyna was the sole reason why he and Triple H lost the Number 1 Contender's Match for the tag titles last week, had his work cut out for him, because Triple H made every distraction possible, tripping Boss Man's legs from underneath him when he ran to the ring ropes, and as Chyna held the ref by his shirt, Triple H threw Boss Man into the steel ring steps, before tossing him back into the ring, into the stiff shots from Chyna's boots and forearms.

However, after one too many interferences, being tripped and dragged out of the ring once more, Boss Man leveled Triple H with his nightstick, knocking him flat onto the padded ring floor!

That's when Chyna, after Boss Man was looking over the top rope, talking smack to Triple H, officially got herself disqualified, after blatantly low blowing him, causing the once bodyguard of Vince McMahon to keel over in pain, holding his crotch!

Stomping away at the fallen Boss Man, Triple H, irate that Boss Man had hit him with that nightstick, rolled into the ring, moving his jaw around a little bit, ordering Chyna to pick Bossman up.

Holding him by the arms, Chyna held Boss Man in place, while Triple H picked up Bossman's fallen nightstick, using it to deliver a stiff blow to the side of his head, dazing him! Falling to the ring mat, completely unable to defend himself, the realization that the Corporation had literally fallen apart since Shane McMahon's departure was ever present, as both Triple H and Chyna continued to assault the helpless Bossman.

Picking Bossman back up himself now, Triple H delivered a hard kick to the gut, before throwing Boss Man's head between his legs, hooking both arms, and executing a ring shaking Pedigree!

But Triple H wasn't done there.

Even though Boss Man was down, and probably would be down for a very long time, Triple H went back to the nightstick, picked it back up, and began choking him with it!

While JR screamed that even the Boss Man didn't deserve this type of treatment on announcements, Chyna, to her satisfaction, walked around Boss Man's body, kicking him in his sides and shoulders.

So distracted by wanting to literally dismantle Boss Man, limb by limb, Triple H didn't even realize that the Rock, steel chair in hand, was running down to the ring!

Sliding through the bottom ring rope, Chyna managed to escape the ring, but Triple H wasn't so lucky, because Rocky swung wildly, aiming directly for Triple H's head, the sound of Triple H's skull meeting the steel folding chair reverberating around the arena, knocking Triple H out cold!

As Chyna screamed from the outside, the Rock, chair still in hand, went to far right ring post, and stood atop of it, regarding to crowd as the People's Champion.

It was now time for Christian vs. Mideon, in the second match of the quarterfinals to determine a new European Champion.

First came Mideon, who was eyeball-less.

Just twenty four prior before on Sunday Night heat, the Big Show squashed Mideon's pet eyeball with his bare hands, before going on to force Mideon to consume it.

As Mideon got on his hands and knees inside the ring, the sound of the Brood's music was heard for the third time that night, and coming up from the elevator shaft of the stage, fire surrounding the opening of it. was the last Brood member, Christian.

Christian, never one to show emotion, came down to the ring in his gothic wrestling attire, sunglasses and all. Sliding into the ring, loosening himself up, Christian looked as ready as he was going to look, the bland exterior of him being completely void of any emotion.

As the referee called for the bell, signaling for the match to begin, Taker's familiar voice called out yet again.

"Christian. This match for you is over. You still have yet to show worthiness enough to compete for the European Title. Leave now, or suffer penance by the Lord of Darkness."

Looking around confused, finally showing feelings regarding his situation, Christian, not wanting to be punished yet again, exited the ring reluctantly, walking backwards back up the ramp.

As the ref raised his hands in the air, counting, JR and King speculated as to why Taker ordered Christian to leave the ring, with King feeling because Undertaker still upset that Christian revealed the whereabouts of Stephanie McMahon to Ken Shamrock. JR on the other hand surmised that Taker wanted to keep his Ministry together as much as possible, not wanting for Mideon to come to physical blows outside of their match similar to what Gangrel and Edge had done.

In the end, however, Christian exited the stage, and as the ref counted to ten, disqualifying Christian via count out, Mideon was declared the winner, thus moving on in second round of the tournament.

In another highly anticipated night, Sable lost her evening gown match to Debra. After Nicole Bass, Sable's bodyguard, attacked Debra, ripped off Debra's evening gown, Commissioner Michaels announced that the woman who had her gown ripped off first would be declared the winner, officially making Debra the new WWF Women's Champion, to the utter disgust of both Bass and Sable.

The next match was a bit of comedy for those who wanted to see the destruction of the Ministry.

As the Big Show walked down to the ring confidently, so confident that he in fact was wearing a pair of blue jeans instead of his normal wrestling trunks, things didn't spell out quite right for Paul Bearer, who Commissioner Michaels was forcing into a ring with the "Largest Athlete in the World"!

Big Show, doing jumping jacks in the ring, continued to wait on for Paul anxiously, prepping himself to what was going to be a very easy bout.

"Paul, if I were you, I would not come down here!" warned Jerry Lawler.

While JR reminded everyone that Paul had never been involved in an official match in his WWF career, the crowd, and especially the Big Show, continued to wait on eagerly for the Taker's inspirational leader. The glee seeping off Big Show was very apparent, who wanted to get his hands on any member of the Ministry, all of them if possible, to tear all of them apart limb from limb, especially Taker, after the hell he had put Show through over the past few weeks.

And the Big Show eventually got whom he was looking for, as the fat man, dressed in an all black suit, walked out onto the stage, but he had no intentions on coming down to the ring, at least not on his own accord, shaking his finger at the Big Show from the top of the stage, telling him he wasn't coming down for the match.

However, Commissioner Michaels, as soon as Paul turned around to walk back into the locker room area, was right behind him, ordering Paul to his match! Kicking Paul in the butt, then grabbing him by the suit jacket, HBK literally escorted a very unwilling Paul Bearer into the ring to the awaiting Big Show, his pleas for mercy falling on deaf ears!

Rolling Paul into the ring himself, HBK decided to take his presence to the announcer's booth with JR and King, while a petrified Paul was literally shaking in the ring, looking up at his maker!

Jumping into a wrestling position, the Big Show scared Paul senseless, who grabbed for the middle ring rope, covering his face in pure, unadulterated fear.

The Big Show, clearly enjoying Paul's visible terror, even jumped at him and screamed, "BOO!", forcing Paul to scream and beg, "I'm not a wrassler! Please don't kill me! I'm not a wrassler!"

While the Big Show grabbed Paul by the hair, pulling him up to his feet tauntingly, JR exclaimed, "The only good news is, Paul Bearer's wearing black pants, cause we'll never know just how scared he really is."

Michaels, on commentary even quipped, "Plus, black makes you look thin, but in Paul's case, it's just not thin enough."

Kicking his big boot right into Paul's face, the manager of the Undertaker went down like a sack of potatoes, the crowd clearly loving it. Dragging Paul back into the middle of the ring, Big Show signaled for a big elbow, jumping straight into the air, and bringing it right down into the chest of Paul!

Clearly not satisfied, and not in the least bit winded, Big Show motioned for a microphone, and once he got it, petitioned Commissioner Michaels on commentary.

"Excuse me, Commissioner Michaels, sir…" Big Show started.

"Yes, sir," Shawn asked on headset.

"… I wondered if it would be alright if we could waive that little stipulation, and just let that long, lanky, tattooed Deadman, walk his ass down here and get it kicked?!"

Walking back into the center of the ring, the challenge was made, and the crowd was jacked!

It was rare that anyone called out the Phenom, but Big Show just had! He wanted the Deadman, and he wanted him right then and there!

"If that's what the Big Show wants," said Shawn. "That's what the Big Show can have. Deadman, come on down!"

Big Show, who was talking trash in the ring, didn't have to wait too much longer, because as Taker's music hit, and the lights to the arena began to dim out, the Undertaker's baleful signaled that trouble was quickly on the horizon.

"Be careful what you wish for, Big Show, you just might get it!" King warned.

As Taker, who hadn't had a good night at this point, walked down to the ring, looking as evil as ever, however, slightly unbothered, JR reminded, "The Undertaker may well be the next WWF Champion, we'll find out in six days at No Mercy UK, but this is personal now, as far as the Big Show is concerned."

Taker, walking down the ramp very slowly, stopping right at the base of it. Creeping only a step or two forward, the Big Show egged Taker on from inside the ring, but Taker simply stood at the bottom of the ramp, not taking another step towards the ring. Then his green, evil filled eyes, followed the Big Show as he ran from one rope to another, picking up some steam, and dropped another big elbow right into the heart of Paul Bearer, the fans in Orlando loving it!

As the lights came up after Big Show's assault to Paul, out ran the Ministry, all attacking the Big Show!

Show tried to fight them off, but it was just too many of them, as Bradshaw, Farooq, Edge, Gangrel, Christian, Mideon, and Viscera all ran inside the ring, pummeling the 500-pounder!

Taker, who had slid into the ring, like a thief in the night, was about to get him some, as well, as the Ministry forced Big Show down for what was for sure going to be an all out assault, but then, Ken Shamrock, Mankind, and Road Dogg, all men who had had their run-ins with the Ministry, ran down to the ring to save the Big Show!

As the Ministry hightailed it out of the ring, Viscera and Mideon helped an obviously injured Paul Bearer back to the locker room, while the Undertaker walked back up the ramp nonchalantly, with JR noting as Big Show's music began to play again, "The Undertaker certainly seemed a bit reluctant to step into the mouth of the fire with the Big Show, but there's not doubt that the Ministry had some evil intentions as far as the Big Show is concerned."

—

The next two matches were the continued Quarterfinals matches, in the quest for a new European Champion.

In the third match of the tournament, Goldust defeated Jeff Jarrett, after Jarrett intentionally got himself disqualified by smashing his guitar over the head of Goldust! Goldust had been getting the better of Jarrett, and once Debra, the new Women's Champion, who always accompanied Jarrett to his matches, had Goldust distracted with her awe striking beauty and low cut clothing, Jarrett, against the referee's orders, turned Goldust around, leveling him with that wooden guitar!

Stomping away at the "Bizarre One", Debra, screaming, along with the referee, tried to get Jarrett to stop assaulting Goldust, but to no avail.

Jarrett, seemingly in a fit of rage, even resorted to pushing Debra down hard onto the mat!

That's when Val Venis, who had been feuding with Jarrett in recent weeks, ran down to the ring, and began pummeling Jarrett, knocking him over the top rope, where Jarrett hurriedly scooted to the back. Val then helped a fallen Debra up from the canvas, picking her up in a cradling position, walking her to the back, which set up the next match.

Val was now being escorted to the ring by a Debra, who was still a little sore from Jarrett pushing her down, for Val's match against another blonde stud, the recently changed, "Mr. Ass", Billy Gunn.

The match between the two was evenly paced, with both men giving each other every thing they had in the tank, but Val, in the end, had the advantage. As soon as he was about to go for the "Big Package", out ran Jarrett again, who wanted both revenge for Val assaulting him only moments earlier, and to get Debra back!

Jumping up on the apron, distracting him, Val swung wildly, connecting with Jarrett's jaw, knocking the Tennessee native down to the padded floor below, however, once Val turned back around, Billy connected with the Fameasser, hooking the leg for the three count, and was declared the victor!

While Jarrett hightailed it back to the locker room with Debra, holding his jaw, proud that he had caused Val the match, JR announced that in six days, at No Mercy UK, the European Championship Tournament would continue with Edge meeting Mideon, and Goldust meeting Billy Gunn, in the Semi-Finals.

Backstage, X-Pac and Kane were doing an interview with Michael Cole about their upcoming triple threat tag team match, against Mankind, Shamrock, and the Acolytes.

Cole starting his line of questioning by saying, "We're just moments away from the Triple Threat Tag Match, involving Mankind and Shamrock vs. the Acolytes, and the tag team champions to my left, Kane and X-Pac."

Getting a strong reaction from the crowd, Cole went on to ask, "X-Pac, Kane, I know you two are ready for you tag match coming up next, but my question to you X-Pac is, can you go into detail about the insinuations that you made about Stephanie McMahon earlier today?"

"Ain't no damn insinuations, Michael Cole, I know what I heard, I know what I saw, and I've got three witnesses to back me up. Point is, I'm calling it right now, just like I told Linda McMahon, your daughter ain't all what she think she is. I heard Jim Ross say earlier tonight that I might've made a mistake, well Jim Boy, when she shows the entire world her true colors, don't say I didn't warn you. As far as the Acolytes, Mankind, and Shamrock are concerned, me and Kane just got two words for ya: SUCK IT!"

As X-Pac and Kane were walking off, Cole stopped them once more and asked finally, "Sorry, but I just have to ask one more question, X-Pac. What about the heat that you have apparently with this man's brother here, the Undertaker?"

"Oh, yeah, I ain't forgotten about the Deadman, not by a long shot, and if he thinks he can assault X-Pac and get away with it, well his brain just might be dead too, because before this night is over with, I'm gonna get me some, and that's a promise."

Motioning to Kane, telling him, "Let's go," JR announced, "Tag titles on the line, and it's live, next!" before going to commercial break.

* * *

><p>The rules for the next match for the tag titles, between Kane and X-Pac, Mankind and Shamrock, and the Acolytes were simple enough: one fall for a finish, pinfall or submission only. A count out or DQ automatically meant a disqualification, and the champions would retain their titles. Three members of each respective team would start out in the ring, their partners in their respective corners.<p>

The Acolytes first made their way down to the ring, the brawlers ready to finally obtain the WWF tag titles. In their opinion, Shawn had only added fuel to the fire, because they were now hellbent on not only kicking both Kane and X-Pac's behinds, but Foley's and Shamrock's, as well.

Mankind, ever the demented one, came out to car crashing music, quickly rolling himself into the ring. That wouldn't prove to be a wise decision of his part, because the Acolytes, trying to gain the early advantage, quickly starting booting Taker's familiar foe. Getting stomped and beaten by the Acolytes, with the fans chanting, "Foley! Foley! Foley!", Shamrock's music filled the O-Arena, and "the World's Most Dangerous Man" was already in that zone, rushing to the ring to help his tag partner, evening up the odds a bit for Mankind.

Shamrock quickly locked Bradshaw in a Belly to Belly, nearly suplexing him out of the ring!

While Mankind and Shamrock proceeded to put a hurting on the lone Farooq, X-Pac's music suddenly hit, and 1/2 of the tag team champions stimulated the already buzzing crowd by his hype entrance. However, seeing the chaos that was going on in the ring, X-Pac unfastened his tag belt, and ran straight into the action, delivering a spinning heel kick to the side of Shamrock's head! However, the skilled technician that Shamrock was, grabbed X-Pac's ankle, trapping him in the ankle lock! That match hadn't even officially started yet, but if Shamrock could get the ankle of X-Pac to snap, then Kane would be without a tag partner!

While the referee tried to gain some order between the fighting men, the lights to the arena went out, as the crowd impatiently waited the arrival of the Big Red Machine.

As his pyro went off, Kane, the Seven Foot Monster, walked methodically to the ring, but once he saw his good buddy X-Pac in trouble, he quickly ran inside to help his good buddy out.

Catching Shamrock around the neck, Kane delivered a thunderous chokeslam to Shamrock, turning "the World's Most Dangerous Man" nearly inside out.

The ref, starting to gain some order between everyone, rang the bell, and it was Mankind, Farooq, and Kane, all in the ring with each other, while Shamrock, Bradshaw, and X-Pac tried to replenish their energy.

For a while, it seemed like Mankind and Farooq, even though enemies, had a mutual game plan, and that was to wear down the Big Red Machine, however, once he was taken out temporarily, they began fighting amongst themselves again.

Throughout the match, there were countless near falls, and with Shamrock hooking in the ankle lock to Kane, who powered out of it with his other leg, a few submission near falls, as well.

Tired of doing things the nice way, however, which was seemingly teething them nowhere, on the outside of the ring, the Acolytes, with the ref distracted inside the ring, attempting to maintain order, isolated Kane away from X-Pac, who was having to fight both Shamrock and Mankind by himself. Throwing Kane into the steel ring steps, Bradshaw aimed a steel chair right at the Big Red Machine's head, once again opening up that wound on Kane's head!

Going back into the ring, Shamrock and Mankind were double teaming X-Pac.

Suddenly, Mankind reached deep down into his pants, and pulled out Mr. Socko, with the crowd in Orlando sensing a victory!

X-Pac, weary and delirious, walked right into the sock puppet hand of Mankind, who now attempting to drown him with the Mandible Claw. Attempting to fight it for a moment, X-Pac suddenly began losing feeling in his body, the pain too much to overcome.

As Mankind laid X-Pac down to the mat, pinning him for the 3-count, Bradshaw ran inside the ring to break up the fall, while Farooq hit Shamrock with a double ax handle to the back. As Mankind battled Bradshaw, the brawl quickly spilling to the outside, Shamrock, fatigued, desperately grabbed the arm of Farooq, locking him into a Crossface!

The ref was positioned to call the submission, but X-Pac, who was barely up, attempting to save his title, delivered a swift kick right to Shamrock's temple, causing him to keel right over, while Mankind and Bradshaw continued to fight on the outside.

Feeling a rush of adrenaline, while Farooq was holding his pained arm, X-Pac picked the fallen Shamrock up from the canvas, and delivered a huge Face Buster!

Going for the pin, about to retain his title, the ref raised his hand in the air, bringing it down to the canvas, for a one count, two count, but the lights to the arena went out, everything around them going pitch black.

While JR and King speculated about why the lights had gone out, JR afraid that the Undertaker was somewhere lurking, when they came back up, X-Pac was rushed and knocked down to the canvas, being pummeled and stomped by Billy Gunn! Mr. Ass, who literally had come out of nowhere, was beating the helpless X-Pac to a pulp, the ref having no choice but to call for the bell, the match obviously ending in disqualification.

While JR screamed that Billy had taken his obsession with being anti-DX too far, out ran the Road Dogg, coming to aid of his friend!

Juking and jiving, Road Dogg fought off Mr. Ass, knocking him down to the canvas. That's when Bradshaw re-entered the ring, running to fight Road Dogg, but he got big rights to the face, as well, but the big Texan, Bradshaw, returned the fight!

While those two battled it out in the ring, Kane, who no one was expecting to get back up, re-entered the ring, grabbing a delirious Bradshaw and slammed his body promptly down to the mat, in a big time chokeslam!

Road Dogg, who had come down to help X-Pac, too was caught by the right hand of Kane, and Billy Gunn, who was just picking himself off the mat, stumbled into the big left hand of Kane, who lifted both men into the air, with miraculous strength, bringing both men down to the mat in a massive double chokeslam!

Raising his massive arms high and bringing them back down, his pyro shot into the air, and although he and X-Pac retained their titles via disqualification, much like the night before on Sunday Night Heat, bodies were left lying everywhere!

Up on the Titantron, JR announced, "Well, folks there you see it, the Rock to your left, the WWF Champion, the Rattlesnake, to your right. Will they be able to co-exist? Rock and Austin vs. Taker and Triple H, and it's next!"


	51. Three Little Words

_"Ooh! Ooh! Shawn! I think I'm cute. I know I'm sexy …"_

"We're back live here folks, thank you for staying up late with us, wherever you may be," JR welcomed. " And yes, that music can only be of one person, the incomparable, HBK, Shawn Michaels, the special guest referee for this epic tag team main event!"

"JR, this is a man that has absolutely wrecked havoc tonight!" King told.

Shawn, dancing down the ramp and into the ring, while being announced by Tony Chimel, promoting his "Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy" on his shirt, and wearing tight biker shorts, flexed his muscles for everyone to see, but now, now more than ever, it was fight time!

As Shawn's music faded into "My Time", Triple H, along with Chyna, spewing water everywhere, made his way down to the ring first.

Triple H, entering the ring, with Chyna right behind him, was obviously in a very foul mood, especially after that vile chair shot he received earlier in the night, courtesy of the Rock, which replayed at home for the fans and on the Titantron.

Attempting to grab referee Michaels by the shirt, obviously warning him by about the condition of his head, Commissioner Michaels, who was not about to be intimidated by anyone, let alone his former DX comrade, pushed Triple H off of him, warning him sternly how he was not only the referee, but also the Commissioner!

As HBK tried to walk off, Triple H, fuming mad, stalked Shawn around the ring, not letting him pass, as the lights to the arena went pitch black, and that inauspicious gong let everyone in the O-Arena know that the Phenom, the man who had predicted that he would be the next World Wrestling Federation champion, was on his way to the ring, however, without his manager, Paul Bearer, who was taken out earlier in the night by the Big Show.

As Taker walked silently down the aisle, JR recapped how Taker had almost ended Austin's career last week, by Tombstoning him onto a metal folding chair, making it known how the Undertaker was willing to do anything, sacrifice anyone to become the next WWF Champion it seemed, and that included concussing an already concussed Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Raising the lights with his eyes rolled back into head, Taker entered the ring to Triple H greeting him threateningly, Chyna right behind him, putting his finger in Taker's face, handing out marching orders! Taker, obviously not about to let anyone tell him what to do, brought his big paw like hand to Triple H's face, pushing him down onto the canvas so hard, Triple H fell flat on his back! Taker even made a jumping move at Chyna, causing her scuttle back, as well!

"Oh, boy, it's looks like things are gonna explode, right here, right now, for Triple H and the Undertaker, King!"

As Triple H got back into Taker's face, arguing with him, while Taker looked down at Triple H with enough evil to spring the Devil from hell, "DO YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING?" flooded the arena!

"Their opponents, first from Miami, FL, he weighs in at 275 pounds, the Rock!"

As "the Great One" made his way down to the ring, raising the eyebrow of the People, Triple H and Taker, still staring each other down, since Taker was the reason why the Corporation had all but dissolved, slowly began to focus their attention in the direction of "the People's Champion".

The Rock, realizing he was a sitting duck, at least until Austin came down, whom he had no love lost with whatsoever, looked around cautiously, as both Triple H and Taker slowly crept out of the ring, stalking their prey.

As Rocky slid into the ring, Taker and Triple H continued to literally hunt him, sliding under the bottom ring ropes themselves. As Rocky swung off on Triple H, Taker came from behind him and began pounding the Rock in the neck and shoulders!

Rocky attempted to battle back, but the two men, who seemed hellbent of destruction, were both too much for him. Stomping him into the bottom ring rope, Triple H assaulted away at the Rock, even choking him, while Taker walked around watching the ensuing chaos.

The fans soon jumped to their feet, however, because that shattering glass meant only one thing: the Rattlesnake was coming!

Leaving out the ring to meet Austin halfway, the Rattlesnake dropped his Smoking Skull belt on the ramp, running straight into Taker, giving his taller adversary rights to the head, forcing him back to the ring area, throwing him against the steel ring post!

Back inside the ring, the Rock had gotten back up, and knocked Triple H over the top rope with thunderous rights! Jumping out the ring to get him a piece of Triple H, the Rock pounded Triple H's head against the announce table, while JR warned, "Look out, King!"

As the sound of headsets hitting the desk could be heard, the Rock, while Triple H was clearly dazed by the shot to the head, turned around and gave the encroaching Chyna a clean shot to the face, as well, knocking her down to the mat, while the Undertaker was continuing to bite off more than he could chew with Austin, almost being thrown over the guardrail to the left of Jerry and JR, trapping the announcers in the surrounding mayhem.

"I don't think the 82nd Airborne could even help us now!" JR proclaimed loudly, attempting to put his headset back on properly, while Austin, pure with rage, knocked Taker back down to mat below.

"Austin's whipping on Taker like a damn government mule!" JR shouted, witnessing how "the Texas Rattlesnake" was putting a hurting on the Phenom.

"Let's get out of here, Jim Ross!" a panicked King shouted.

"Man, I wish we could. You talk about carnage…! It looks like a damn brawl in a beer joint in Muskogee, on a Saturday night!"

As the Rock rolled Triple H into the ring, Shawn motioned for the bell, and officially, the match was on!

The Rock gave big rights to Triple H, knocking him down onto the mat again, stomping away at him. Picking him up by the hair, Austin held up his boot over the top rope, the Rock throwing Triple H into it face first, tagging in Austin almost instantaneously, the fans electrifying the O-Arena, as Austin physically dissected Triple H, throwing him into the ring ropes, giving him a Lou Thesz Press.

Picking Triple H back up, Austin whipped him into the ropes, ducking his head, as he did so, but Triple H offered him a stiff kick to the chest. Austin, feeling the effect of Triple H's boot, then moved out of the way quickly, as Triple H attempted to the steamroll him, throwing him over the top rope, as Chyna tried to help Triple H regain his momentum.

Meanwhile, back in the ring, the Rattlesnake gave Taker two big middle fingers to the face, and while Taker was clearly unfazed, the Rattlesnake wanted Taker as badly as he needed beer!

Taker, however, did not move an inch towards Austin initially, but, after the taunting of Austin after a few seconds, Taker ducked his head to enter the ring, but Triple H chopped blocked Austin from behind in his bad knee, causing the Rattlesnake to go down to the mat in pain.

Stomping away at Austin for a second or two, Triple H finally tagged in Taker, who wasn't a bit reluctant at all now by getting him a piece of the Rattlesnake.

For the next few minutes, Taker and Triple H, although foes at best, would successfully tag with each other, isolating Austin away from his tag team partner, keeping him at bay from the Rock.

Every time Austin thought that he was going to be able to get the tag to Rocky, either Taker or Triple H would stop him, but after Austin managed to get the Stunner to Triple H, both men were down in the center of the ring, and referee Michaels began making his count.

Both men, spent and tired, were down on the canvas, almost not able to even move a muscle. As the crowd chanted for Austin, who was desperately trying to make the fresh tag, Triple H needed to make the tag to Taker, as well. Both gentlemen got to their end of the ring at the same time, however; Austin tagged Rocky and Triple H tagged Taker!

Taker, who under normal conditions, was the best pure striker around, was suddenly unmatched for the lightning quick hands of the Rock.

Whipping Taker into the ropes, Taker attempted to double back and hit Rocky with a big forearm, but Rocky ducked, and delivered a Samoan Drop to the Deadman. Triple H, who still hadn't fully recovered, tried to jump Rocky from behind, but the Rock picked Triple H up in the air, bringing him back down with a big Spinebuster!

Rocky was on a roll now, stalking Triple H, looking for the Rock Bottom, but Taker was right behind him, turning him around and giving him a hellacious chokeslam!

Austin was back up now, as well, and brought the fight right back to Taker, spilling Taker onto the mat below. Following him around the ring, Austin bashed Taker's head into the steel ring steps!

Whipping him into them, Taker went back first into the black steel steps, while Austin stomped a mud hole in Taker, walking it dry, flipping him two birds for good measure.

However, before Austin could turn around, Chyna delivered a ravishing low blow to him, right in front of Commissioner Michaels, no less!

While Austin fell to his knees, Commissioner Michaels ordered for Chyna to get on the other side of the ring, while back on the inside, Rocky and Triple H were throwing lefts and rights at each other.

While Triple H was successfully keeping up the pace for a moment, Rocky quickly got the better of him, kicking him in the stomach, delivering a vivacious DDT.

Standing over Triple H and kicking his arm to his side, Rocky slid his right elbow pad off, threw it to the awaiting fans, waved his arms to and fro, and ran from ring rope to ring rope, dropping the People's Elbow right into Triple H's chest!

Going for the 3-count, Shawn had his hand ready to drop for 3, but Taker made the save by dropping two big forearms to Rocky's back and shoulders. Holding Rocky by the neck, Taker was about to go for another chokeslam, but before he could get Rocky elevated, X-Pac, who had promised to get him some of Taker before the night was over, ran into the ring, and gave Taker a big spinning heel kick, knocking him down the mat, the crowd absolutely going wild!

Commissioner Michaels, who had obviously seen the whole thing, didn't call for the bell, either. He simply allowed for X-Pac to do the deed, but right behind X-Pac was Billy Gunn, who had run down to the ring to get him some of his former friend, as well!

It was pandemonium everywhere!

As Billy Gunn delivered a Fameasser to X-Pac, in ran the Road Dogg, limping and all, fighting off his former friend once more, the fight spilling to the outside, right into the people!

Both Triple H and Taker were back up now, and so was Rocky and Austin. Taker had both adversaries well-scouted however, because before he could get into another fist fight with either one of them, Taker flipped his body over the top rope as soon as Austin was making a beeline for him, literally leaving Triple H in the middle of no man's land!

Realizing that he was in a very precarious situation, with no positive outcome, Triple H attempted to beg his way out of the sure beatdown he was about to receive, but to no avail, because Austin and Rocky, in no way, shape, nor form friends, started wailing on Triple H, his balance becoming unsteady, falling to the ground with the last shot to the face from Austin.

Stalking Triple H, Rocky, the legal man, wrapped his arm around Triple H's chest once he managed to stumble back up, lifted him into the air, and threw him back down into the mat with a resounding Rock Bottom, covering him for the pin and the win!

Walking around the body of Triple H, Rocky looked more determined than he had looked in months. But Austin, even though he had won the match, wasn't finished. Rushing out of the ring, Austin literally ran back up the ramp, attacking Taker, who was standing at the top of it, watching his tag team partner get decimated.

While Taker and Austin returned rights and lefts to each other's faces, they literally tried to dismantle each other, throwing each other back into the steel ring posts, the steps, and once back inside the ring, were trying to beat the living hell out of each other!

Taker gained a small advantage by kicking Austin square in the face with that big size sixteen as Austin was coming off the ring ropes, and was about to flip Austin upside down for another Tombstone, but Austin wriggled free from it, and as Taker turned around, he walked right into the Stone Cold Stunner, as the sound of breaking glass once again made waves through the O-Arena!

Rolling his neck around, talking trash to Taker, who was looking up at lights, Austin gave Taker two more birds, and once vertical again, signaled for two brewskies to wash the night away with!

Going to the top ring post, Austin had two cold ones thrown to him, looking back down at Taker, who was lying motionless in the ring. Clanking the two Steveweisers together, Austin downed his cold beverages to the roar of the crowd.

Jumping down from the turnbuckle, walking around Taker's prone body, signaling for two more, Austin didn't even have the chance to get his hands on another one, because behind him was Ken Shamrock, who hooked Austin around the midriff and flipped him over his head so fast in a belly to belly suplex, he literally didn't know what hit him!

Screaming out, Austin's music coming to a cease, Kenny got a mixture of both cheers and jeers for attacking the most popular superstar in the country, but it didn't matter to him, because as he rolled out the ring, picking up the discarded Smoking Skull belt, Kenny, once back inside the ring, held the championship high above his head, ready for this Sunday!

* * *

><p>The show had to be over by now. Stephanie hadn't seen anyone since Mark had left out of the office after their initial blowup, and now, here she was, pacing around the room like a caged animal, waiting for this uncaring, unconscionable human being, whom she called her husband, to come back.<p>

She didn't know the exact extent of Shane and Vince's injuries, but the way that Shawn had wished Vince "get well soon", Stephanie knew that Mark must have gone over the deep end.

The question she had now was, why? Why did he attack her brother? What exactly happened to Shane? Were Vince and Shane ok? Why hadn't anyone mentioned anything to her about Shane and Vince's injuries? Why hadn't Linda said anything? Why was all this happening to her, and worse, by the man whom she thought she was in love with? _"_

_If he could do all that to my own flesh and blood, what can he do to me?"_

Steph must've walked around the office for another hour or so, mentally racking her brain when the door to the office finally reopened … and that's when she finally took a seat.

Mark, looking even more pissed off than usual, wearing his signature all black ensemble, walked in with his bag slung over his shoulder, and the look he gave Stephanie absolutely gave her the chills! "Get your shit and let's go!" Taker ordered in angst.

Most times when Mark would speak to Stephanie like this, even though she really was petrified on the inside, she would show it on the outside, her nerves always giving her away. This time, however, things were going to be different. Stephanie had already made it up in her mind that Mark wasn't about to bully her around anymore.

She had had enough of him, of his blatant disrespect and disregard for both her and her family, and she was finally going to show it.

Folding her arms up and crossing her legs, Stephanie leaned back into the black leather couch, almost getting comfortable, poking her lips out, turning her head, not saying one solitary word.

_"He assaulted my father and my brother! He can't expect me to just do what he tells me to do now!"_

Knowing Stephanie was going to be difficult, and he should have known this, Mark walked over to his new bride, but before he did anything else, leaned down, and stared at her right in her face, not looking at all like a happy camper.

Stephanie, looking back into his eyes, wanted to dissolve in tears.

She hated fighting with Mark, because she honestly loved him, and when he got like this, he scared her to no end, but she was convinced that she had to stay strong. She couldn't let Mark break her. If she did, he would continue to walk all over her, and she couldn't let that happen … she _wouldn't_ let that happen.

Turning her head from him, looking at the blankness of the wall, Stephanie never anticipated that Mark would pull her up by the arms, with absolutely no effort whatsoever, slinging her over his shoulder, and even though Steph was kicking and pounding away at his back, screaming for him to let her down, would bend down to pick up his discarded bag, and walk out of the room with her and down the hallway as if she were the catch of the day. It was humiliating for her!

She could feel the eyes of so many other superstars, Divas, tech people, etc., all falling on them, as he was literally hauling her out of the arena!

That's when she began to feel hot tears rolling down her face. She was embarrassed!

Mark was known to do some pretty mean things to her, but literally hauling her out of the arena, around her peers no less, to their whispers and side eyes, had to be the most humiliating thing she had ever experienced, way worse than getting a spanking; at least that was in private!

When they decided to go through with working everyone up to make them believe that Steph truly hated Mark, they did so as a couple; they had made the decision together, and although they went through a few hiccups, the decision was still made with both minds consciously knowing of the repercussions that could and would come behind doing something like that.

Now, Mark was going through their plans again without Stephanie's permission … and it hurt like hell.

Walking out into the parking lot, Steph heard the sounds of the fans, who always gathered outside of the shows, yelling and screaming. She then heard the sound of a running car. As Mark sat her down to her feet, Stephanie's first instinct was to run, but Mark was holding her around her waist so securely, she wasn't going anywhere even if she tried.

Almost throwing her into the sedan, Christian in his usual position in the driver seat sped off, with Paul sat in the front passenger seat, clutching his chest in pain, while Stephanie and Mark got in the backseat.

Embarrassed beyond belief, Steph kicked away at Taker, trying to put some distance between the two, but her lunged at her, pinning her down to the car seat, with her attempting to fight him with all of her being!

Paul in the front seat, fearing he was having a heart attack, moaned out from all the commotion Stephanie and Taker were causing in the backseat, "Take me now, Lord."

That's when Taker roared at Stephanie to "STOP! Don't make me hurt you!"

Nose to nose with his wife, Mark knew that Stephanie would be upset with him once … _if_ … she found out what happened to Vince and Shane, but he had no idea that she'd resort to physically wanting to put her hands on him! How much of the real Stephanie had he actually reared up, he wondered.

Yanking himself off her body, Stephanie offered one more kick, before she finally settled back on the car door, fist balled up, looking every bit of a hellcat. Everyone in the car then fell into a deep silence until they all arrived at the hotel.

Christian was first to get out, who helped the badly hurting Paul Bearer out of the car.

Of course, the fans were delighted to see Paul in so much agony, with one fan even yelling out, "That's what you get, you fat ass!"

Looking over at Stephanie, her hair all over her head, her clothes twisted and wrinkled, Taker asked, "You settled down enough to _walk_ into this hotel like a woman or am I gonna have to _carry_ you in like a child?"

Opening the door with fury, giving him a sassy look before she got out, Stephanie slammed the door to the car, almost stomping into the lobby. Once inside, Christian was about to hand her the key to her room, but she snatched it out of his hand before he could even offer it to her. Punching the door to the elevator, it immediately opened for her, but since Steph was in no way ready to share her ride with Paul and Christian, no matter how much pain Paul was in, she pressed the elevator close button before they could even attempt to board.

Walking back to her room, furious, upset, nauseated by tonight's revelations, Stephanie went over to her bag and began packing, ready to go the hell out of there, whether Mark was coming with her or not. She must've flung things back inside her bag for another fifteen minutes or so when she felt Mark's presence behind her, leering at her from the doorway of the bedroom.

Rubbing his temples, having Shawn and Linda ruin his plans for revenge on Austin tonight, having Stephanie find out that Vince and Shane were indeed injured, having Shamrock added into his match with Austin at No Mercy UK, and finally, having taken a Stunner to cap off the entire night, meant that Mark had to re-strategize and re-strategize quickly, but first, he had to first calm down a 120-pound angry woman. Running his fingers through his hair, Mark finally spoke out to Stephanie, "You gonna stay pissed at me forever?"

Snapping her head back to look at him, Stephanie offered a strong, "Yes," before quickly turning her attention back to her bag.

Picking it up, realizing it was heavier than she thought it was, Stephanie attempted to leave out of the bedroom, but Mark stuck his long arm out in front of her, blocking her from doing so.

Looking down at his wife, who looked like she could kick each and every ass of a small army, Mark said finally, "Look, you just need to calm down, alright? I'm not one to do a lot of talking, but ok, let's talk about this. Tell me what in the hell are you so mad about, and what can I do to fix it."

Stephanie, looking up at Mark, disgusted, couldn't believe that he would even question why she was upset with him, like she was somehow crazy and making things up with her imagination!

Appalled, Stephanie dropped her bag with a hard thump, and yelled in his face, "I can not believe you! How could you hurt my father? What did you do? What did you do to Shane? Are you such a coward that you couldn't even tell me to my face what you did? You know, everyone is right about you, and now I see it, too. You don't love me! You only love what I can do for you! Mark, you're just a horrible human being! You have no conscience, no remorse, you're heartless! But as long as you get what _you_ want, then everything's fine. The hell with what _I_ want, or how _I_ may feel. Everything is about you! The entire universe revolves around you!"

Airing out her grievances with him, Mark walked out of the bedroom, and sat on the arm of the couch. Looking at Stephanie's chest fall up and down rapidly, calm as a cucumber, he replied, "You want to know everything? That's what you want? You really want the truth?"

Scoffing, folding her arms up, Stephanie asked harshly, "What do you think?"

Smirking, Mark let out a "Fine. Have it your way. Just like I told you back at the arena, Stephanie, what I did to Vince, I did it because I wanted to, because Daddy Dearest had it coming, had it coming for months. But, before I go on, remember all the ass kickings Austin has handed out to your precious old man over the last two years, but you still hugged him a few weeks ago. Don't forget that."

Looking around the room, Stephanie stuck her tongue between her cheek, and answered, "Mark, those are two very different things. Austin and my dad, they had … they _had_ their issues, and you just did whatever you did just because …"

"So what Vince and I have wasn't personal? Him signing Kane? Him parading my family issues on live TV, holding the belt away from me, was that not personal? Austin handed out a free ass whooping to Vince on a weekly basis, and you're mad at me?"

Turning her head, Stephanie was about to answer, but Mark cut her off.

"So, yeah, I did what I did, and I don't regret it, and don't ever think I will ever regret it, because I can assure you right now, I won't. As far as Shane is concerned, I didn't touch him. Talk to the Rock about that. He's the one who Rock Bottomed him through the announce table."

Mouth agape now, eyes wide with horror, Stephanie couldn't believe that Mark had gone through with putting Shane against the Rock in that hardcore match! What was he thinking? Was he trying to destroy her entire family?

"Why? Why Mark? What has Shane ever done to you? Shane didn't deserve that match with Rocky! And he's not a fighter. Rocky is a trained professional athlete. Shane isn't. How could you do something like that? To my own brother?"

"Well, Steph, if you let Rocky tell it, he did owe Shane that ass kicking, and why are you so concerned about him anyway? He didn't give a damn about you all those weeks leading up to me marrying you, now did he? You give him too much. As far as I can tell, he didn't, and hasn't, given you anything, not even the time of day, Stephanie. Wake up."

"You know what?" Stephanie asked, as she traced her steps around the room. "I have waken up, and I see you just for the disgusting, vile, piece of shit that you truly are! You don't love me! You don't care about me! HBK said you even ran off my mom, today! Mark, you know I wanted to see her. You know I love my family! Just because you had a fucked up childhood doesn't mean …"

Before she could even get the rest of her sentence out, Mark was stalking her again, rushing her to the wall. Not able to even concentrate on her steps, Steph stumbled back until she was back first again the balcony door, the coldness of the glass meeting her exposed skin on her back. His voice cutting through her ear like ice, low and deliberate, Mark raised a finger to Stephanie's face, warning, "If you ever, and I mean _ever_, bring that back up ever again, little girl…"

"Oh, did I strike a nerve, _Mark_? You know, you're not so _dead_, after all? You think it's ok for you to hurt me? No, I don't think so. I've just about had it up to here with you! You don't love me, you don't care about me …"

"AND WHAT IN GOD'S NAME WOULD MAKE YOU THINK THAT? Did I not show love for you, woman, giving you that damn ring? Moving you into my house? You think I did all that shit just to one up Vince, when I've have you, in more ways than one? Is that what you think?"

Hated being yelled at, Stephanie, even though she was trying to play hard ball, just couldn't stop the tears from pouring out of her eyes. Hating to see Steph cry too, because he quite frankly did love Stephanie, Mark turned his head away slowly, not able to look her in the face.

Walking off, placing his hands on his hips, Stephanie cried out, "You've never even said it. I don't even think you can say it. If you love me, why won't you just say it? What is so hard about that?"

In the back of his mind, he knew everything that Stephanie was saying now was true. He did love her, and she was right, he didn't know how to say it. He hadn't said "I love you" in years. He had hardened his soul to the point where he was almost void of all affection and emotion, and now, it was costing him his wife.

Turning his head slightly to look at Stephanie, who was still crying on the wall, arms clutched around her shirt, Mark sighed, and said finally, "It's getting late and we've got to catch an early morning flight out of here," before walking into the bedroom.

Stephanie, her entire being collapsing around her, not knowing what to say or what to do, slid down the glass door, until her butt finally hit the floor, where she sat for what felt like an eternity.


	52. What Really Happened to Ryan Shamrock

After arriving back at home in Houston, the next few days for Stephanie and Mark were turbulent to say the least.

Stephanie, still upset that Mark assaulted her father, booked Shane in a match against the Rock, and was seemingly incapable of saying "I love you" to her, let her feelings be known about him in the worst possible way, and in return, Mark treated her as if she were a child.

Not only did they begin taking separate showers and baths from each other, but whenever they slept in bed together, Stephanie made sure to put plenty of distance between them. If Mark attempted to snuggle close to her, Steph would simply leave the bedroom all together, choosing to sleep elsewhere. When Stephanie cooked, she prepared just enough food for herself. She even went out of her way to feed Zeus and April, leaving Mark to prepare his meal himself, going against her newfound wifely duties.

There were long, awkward silences between them; Stephanie wouldn't even look at Mark sometimes, and their conversations only consisted of one or two words questions and answers, _if_ Stephanie chose to answer at all.

When they chose to go to a grocery store, after Stephanie picked an argument about why they had to choose Mark's favorite grocery store, Stephanie had her hand clutched by Mark's unwillingly, his grasp of her hand almost bone crushing.

When she was pushing a cart along with their purchases inside, Mark, feeling Stephanie was taking too much time shopping, even resorted to swatting Stephanie on the behind, not in the least bit gently, the sound reverberating along the aisle, which caused for snickers among a group of men who happened to be on the same aisle, picking up snacks and such.

Once in the line to be checked out by a cashier, Stephanie snatched away from Mark's grip, once again, in front of plenty of patrons. Embarrassed that his wife was acting like this, once checked out, Mark whispered into Stephanie's ear that he forgotten something important, instructing her to go on to the truck without him.

Although Stephanie initially wanted to leave him in the shopping center alone, thinking maybe a cab ride home would teach him a lesson, after coming out to parking lot and realizing that his vehicle with his wife inside were both missing, she knew Mark would probably turn psychotic again, so she ultimately thought better of it.

When Mark did get back into the truck, however, Stephanie heard a package being ripped opened, and before she could react, Mark stuck a baby's pacifier in her mouth.

"Since you want to act like a baby, here you go."

Stephanie also found herself throwing things around in the house in a huff, her anger not subsiding at all in the days following the fallout from Monday Night Raw. Pillows, remote controls, dishes, whatever Stephanie could get her hands on almost, she felt she had justification enough to simply sling around, since Mark was seemingly throwing her feelings around, as well.

And with stark consciousness, Stephanie came to realize that frankly, for one of the very few times since she had been married to Mark, she really hated being in his company. She was hurt by him, and worst of all, even though he could see just how truly hurt she was, he wouldn't even acknowledge this. Mark was too stubborn with pride, and from what Stephanie had ascertained, everything was all about him.

It was Thursday now and Stephanie was still in a very foul mood.

Cleaning up in the kitchen in only a plain black t-shirt, short enough to show her white panties, while Mark was reading the morning newspaper nonchalantly over at the table at the breakfast nook, petting Zeus with his free hand, Stephanie, tired of having all of her emotions bottled up inside of her, found herself almost breaking the dishes as she was loading them into the dishwasher so roughly, mumbling to herself in a low growl.

Mark, finally reaching his limit with Stephanie, as well, not saying anything to her about her behavior before, other than the pacifier incident, moaned out, "Look, if you're going to do the shit, just do it, and if you're not, then don't, but don't be breaking my shit while you're trying to decide," Mark said as he lowered the paper down to the table, clearly agitated by Stephanie's attitude and total disregard for the things in their home.

Scoffing, Steph, throwing another dish into the dishwasher, turned around and looked at him, asking perturbed, "Oh, so these are _your_ dishes now? I guess this is _your_ dishwasher too, _your_ kitchen, hell, _your_ house. Just like I said, everything is just all about _you_, isn't it, Mark?"

Turning back around, loading the dishes into the dishwasher extra fast now, Stephanie heard Mark raise his voice and ask, "Woman, why the fuck are you acting like this? You still pissed off by what I did to your old man? That shit happened weeks ago! Get over it, Steph, I mean it!"

Stopping again, standing straight up, turning back around to face him, the island separating the two, Stephanie shouted, "You know what, Mark: go to hell! How dare you tell me to 'get over it'? You're not the boss of me! You don't tell me what to do! I'm not Ryan and you damn sure don't own me! If you want a slave, who does everything you want them to, go talk to her, go screw her, isn't that what you've been doing all along?"

Realizing he was about to say something he would surely regret in the near future, not usually policing himself, Mark closed his eyes and counted to ten mentally. Re-opening his eyes again, bright anger shining through them, he mumbled out, anger coursing his voice, not understanding how she could jump from being mad about Vince and Shane to accusing him of having sex with Saphirra, Mark let out slowly "Just what the fuck do you mean by that?"

Folding her arms up, tongue making movements within her cheek, Stephanie replied thoroughly, "Oh, I think it's pretty obvious about what I meant. You're having sex with her, or _had_ sex with her. It's as clear as broad daylight! Mark, do you honestly think I'm just going to believe anything you tell me after what you've done to my brother and dad? I realize now that every single thing that you've ever told me was either for your own good, or was a complete lie, to make me think that you were this great person, that you were so noble, and guess what, Mark, you're not. So, I came to the conclusion: you had sex with her. Just like you had sex with those two skanky ass bimbos in the basement."

Standing up himself now, Zeus, sensing trouble was on the horizon, whined a bit, watching on as his master walked over to Stephanie around the island, who, for the second time, wasn't backing up from him. She had consciously chosen not to allow him to intimidate and mentally defeat her like he had done so many times before, so Stephanie, against her usually better judgment, stood her ground.

Getting nose to nose with Stephanie, Mark asked through gritted teeth, "So you went from accusing me to manipulating you to me fucking Saphirra? You think that after I told you out of my own damn mouth, that I _didn't_ have had sex with her, that I had never, and would never touch her, you're going to basically call me a liar? Huh, is that if?"

Scoffing again, which turned into a wide smirk, one that only a McMahon could produce, Stephanie replied, "Yes! That's exactly what I think. Mark, do you really think I'm some sort of idiot? You think that I'm just going to believe that this girl, who is quite in fact, mad for you, fanatically loyal to you, let's not kid ourselves … you think that I believe that she just got this way without you having some sort of sexual relationship with her? Brainwashed my ass, Mark. Maybe she was just _dickwashed_, but certainly not brainwashed."

Sniffing, taking in everything that Stephanie was accusing him of, Mark looked down at Stephanie dangerously, causing Steph's stomach to tangle up in knots, but on the exterior, she was poised, positioned to finally get the truth out of Mark somehow.

She really hadn't fathomed that Mark may have had a sexual relationship with Ryan until the other night, when she was lying on the couch after their first night back home, and the thought casually rolled through her mind. She really hadn't thought much into it after the fact, but, in the heat of moment, it seemed like a very plausible notion to bring up, especially since now, all of the sudden, Ryan was no longer around to be her appointed babysitter.

Putting his hands on his hips, Mark asked very darkly, more darkly than any other time he had ever spoken to Stephanie, "So, that's what you think? You think this, right?"

Gulping a small amount, Stephanie nodded and looked straight into her husband's eyes, and answered, "Yes, Mark, that's exactly what I think, and I want to know the truth: did you or did you not have an affair with her?"

"I told you I didn't! Don't ask me that shit again!"

"Oh, now it's don't ask you that shit again? Why? Because you're guilty? Oh, and now you're giving me directions again. You want me to be a Ryan. You want me to your slave, don't you, just admit it! You want someone you can easily control! That's what you thought I was, a puppet, right?

Licking his lips slowly, then smiling with a heightened look of insanity splattered all across his face, Mark looked down at Stephanie again, laughing in a crazed, maniacal way, one that scared Stephanie to no end.

She was attempting to look resolved and in control of her emotions, but her facial expression couldn't help but to change at seeing her husband almost turn inside out.

Suddenly stopping himself from laughing, Mark answered quietly, "Since," rubbing the side of Stephanie's hair with his hand, causing Stephanie to shiver involuntarily, Mark continued. "Since, you think I want a slave, and that I want _you, _my precious wife, as a slave, since you obviously think that, since you want to know the truth, how about I just show you what you want."

Grabbing Stephanie by the arms without any sort of warning, Mark literally began dragging Stephanie out of the kitchen!

Protesting, Stephanie yelled out, "Mark, stop it! You're hurting my arm again," however all of her demands fell on deaf ears, because Mark simply kept dragging her out of the room, pulling her along into the hallway.

That's when Steph began putting a real fight, grabbing the corner of the walls, attempting to stop his near dragging of her, yelling, "Mark, stop it! I said stop it! Stop it! I mean it!"

Mark, however, improvised, and instead of merely dragging Stephanie along behind him, he simply lifted Stephanie up, arms locked firmly around her torso, continuing to carry her down the hallway, while Stephanie, in a panic, feeling she may have pushed Mark's buttons too far this time, kicked away in midair, attempting to grab ahold to anything, including a table in the hallway, which held a vase of flowers, knocking them both over, the vase shattering on the ground, glass and water flowing everywhere, hoping that would force Mark to put her down, but seemingly, it was no use, as Mark continued to carry her down the hallway.

Literally shifting a kicking and almost hysterical Stephanie to his side, with right arm still locked firmly around her body, Mark came to the closed door that lead downstairs into the basement. Opening it, Stephanie loudly protesting and kicking, flailed her arms, trying her damnedest to break Mark's hold of her, while Zeus and April, who were normally mortal enemies as far as Zeus was concerned, followed behind the chaos carefully, both whimpering at all the noise that was being created.

Re-locking his free arm back around Stephanie, Mark walked down the stairs with her, while she tried to put a halt to whatever journey they were going on, by attempting to stick her legs and arms out in the tight entranceway, but to no avail, because Mark carried her down into the basement, walked around with her effortlessly still, and surprisingly, opened the door to the theater room.

Placing Stephanie down in one of the leather seats, while she huffed and puffed from all the energy that she had lost struggling with him, with hair flying all about her face, Mark stuck his finger right into Stephanie's face and warned, "Don't move you ass out of that seat. You want the truth? You're going to get it."

As Mark walked off, Stephanie, breathing in and out heavily, watched as Mark went to the back of the room and turned the lights back off, the room going almost completely dark, however, the light from the TV suddenly illuminated the room, almost blinding Stephanie. Realizing Mark had a remote control in his hand, Stephanie watched on in anxiety, while Mark walked back up beside her, saying, "Sit back and get comfortable."

Watching on in high alert, Stephanie watched the screen as a shaky camera, with audible footsteps being heard, walked along inside a very dark room, even darker than the one she was sitting in right now, the slight breathing of whomever it was holding the camcorder faintly heard, as well.

The shakiness of the camera and the footsteps with it carried on for what seemed like forever to Steph, for at least another 25 seconds of nothing but darkness, which prompted Steph to squeak out, "Mark, what is this? What is this that you're showing me?"

"Shh. Watch along, Princess."

The walking then came to a cease at Stephanie presumed to be a door, a white hand reaching out to turn the doorknob.

That's when Steph noticed at the bottom left hand of the screen, the numbers "04-05-99" were colored in green.

Closing the door behind whomever had opened it, Steph heard the creaking of it, which reminded her of something out of a horror movie. Those eery sounding footsteps were heard again, this time, they sounded like they were going down a flight of wooden steps, or something very similar to them.

The hand came upon another door, and once whomever opened it, Steph immediately heard the whimpers of what she initially assumed was a puppy. As the figure continued to walk deeper into wherever they were, the whimpers began to sound more human-like now, _very_ human-like now.

Although Stephanie still couldn't see anything on the screen, she heard that camera shaking more rapidly now. She heard a gulp of air being taken by someone, then the huffing and puffing of air that the person seemed to be taking in, and for a faint second or so, Steph could have sworn she heard the person's bones literally quaking with fear.

Ten more seconds or so must have passed when the lights to the room on the screen suddenly came on, and what Stephanie saw, what Stephanie watched, shook her to her very core.

In front of her very eyes, playing out right in front of her, was Ryan Shamrock. The old Ryan, the one with blonde hair, however this time, she didn't look like Ryan of old. She looked as if she had gone through hell and back, or as Stephanie was tentatively thinking, "_Through Mark and back_."

Ryan was crying, hiccuping, with pure terror shining brilliantly through her bright blue eyes, petrified, as her mascara had run all down her tear stained face. Her red lipstick was smudged around both cheeks, she was wearing a white shirt, which appeared to be stretched around the collar, maybe from someone pulling on her; it was dirty now, but still savable.

She also wore a pair of blue jeans that were a bit dirty, the bottom of her feet both dirty, as well. On her wrists and ankles, Stephanie, disgusted, vile almost rising out of her throat, realized that Ryan was being restrained by shackles, the metal restrictions only giving her about five inches of free space from wrist to wrist, from ankle to ankle, with a thin chainlink between either one of them, while a long, thick, heavy chain connected the chain between her wrists and the chain between her ankles, the clanking sounds as Ryan continued to shift in position from fear, almost enough to make Stephanie retch with revulsion.

Watching on in confusion, despair, and terror herself, Stephanie felt herself being pulled into Ryan's world so to speak, honestly feeling the tremors coming from Ryan's body rush through her own body.

Watching as Ryan stared closely as the figure neared closer and closer to her, she heard an almost blood curdling scream coming from the girl's voice before she even opened her mouth, Mark bending his six foot ten frame down to caress Ryan's jawline, similar to how he would do in the present, only this time, Ryan was horrified by his mere presence and touch.

_"04-05-99". That was only one day after Ryan was sacrificed!"_ Stephanie thought to herself in fear.

"No, please," Ryan gulped out. "I want to go home … I want my brother … Mark … why? Please … I want, Kenny … I …"

As Ryan continued to beg and plead, desperately wanting to be set free from her peril situation, Stephanie watched as Mark stood back up, walked back up to the camera, picked it up, walked over to the light again, flipping it off, while Stephanie heard the glass jerking scream coming from Ryan's voice again, as the footsteps were heard leaving the room, the squeaky door closing emphatically behind Mark.

Turning her head to her husband, who was looking on with his both arms folded, seemingly unbothered, Stephanie whispered out, "Mark, I don't think I …"

"Shh…" Tipping the remote back to the screen, Stephanie looked on again, as the the date on the recording changed from "04-05-99" to "04-06-99".

Walking back through the dark and dense room, Steph heard the camera mount again, the light turning back on, infiltrating the space.

This time while Ryan was lying on the cold, dank looking floor, Steph noted that another large metal chain, which was impaled in the cinderblock wall behind her, was connected to the chain that rest between Ryan's ankles and wrists, almost making the girl completely immobile, the possibility of her going anywhere more than a few inches futile.

Squinting her eyes up from the sudden burst of light that entered the room, Ryan, somehow, with the weight of the restraints around her wrists, wiped her eyes to see Mark, once again before her, this time, he appeared to be sitting on some sort of stool.

And he didn't speak.

While Ryan looked visibly unnerved, panting rapidly, looking around in terror, afraid to say or do anything, not that there was much she could do, Mark, knowing he was in complete control, smirked at her. The air was thick and palpable between the two, neither one of them saying anything to each other.

Without warning, Mark brought his hand up, and Ryan immediately flinched, sensing he was going to strike her, but he didn't. Instead, Mark reached inside his jean pocket and pulled out a set of keys, holding them ever so lightly on a keyring. Jingling the keys for Ryan to see, the sounds of metal clinking against each other echoing throughout the small room. Dangling the keys back and forth in front of her, Stephanie, flustered, continued to look on, as Ryan's eyes followed the keys back and forth, back and forth, almost as if she were in a trance.

Attempting to lift her hands up and grab the keys, which were right in front of her, Ryan found herself not being able to reach them, the cold, heavy chain in the wall obviously reaching its limit. Chuckling low under his breath, Mark brought him and his stool in closer proximity to Ryan's body.

Dangling the keys in front of Ryan's face again, like a cat watches a ball of yarn sway back and forth in front of its face, Ryan, either consciously or unconsciously, Steph couldn't tell, reached out to grab the keys from Mark again, but laughing quite out loud this time, Mark stood up, kicking the stool all the way back to the other wall, while he merely looked down at Ryan, who was looking back up at him, unease plastered all over her usually gorgeous face, looking quite dirty and downtrodden now. Just like the first time, Mark walked back over to the camera, walked over to the light switch on the wall, and flipped it off, leaving Ryan in the room all alone once again, this time, only her soft cries could be heard as Mark left out of the room.

The timestamp on the camcorder now read "04-07-99", and once again, Mark was sitting on a brown, wooden stool, while the artificially chained Ryan, who wasn't wearing her regular clothing anymore, this time only wearing a plain white tank top and white panties, which were getting dirty from the ground beneath her, sat back first against the gray wall behind her.

Close enough to her that his black boot was resting almost against Ryan's knee, Mark, once again, took the liberties of dangling those keys in front of her face again. Looking on almost helplessly, Ryan watched along silently as Mark waved the keys back and forth in front of her mockingly. Slowly reaching her hand out, Ryan suddenly stopped, thinking better of it, and instead, brought her hand back down to her body.

Once again, Mark stood up, and instead of kicking the stool back to the wall, walking over to his camcorder, turning the lights to the room off, and leaving Ryan all alone again, Mark decided to walk over to the table that was resting the camcorder, picking up a small plate which held a lone sandwich, with lettuce, tomatoes, and ham stuffed between two slices of bread on top of it.

As Mark sat back down on the stool, Stephanie heard the distinct, yet very loud growl of Ryan's stomach, and from the look on the poor girl's face, it would seem as if she hadn't eaten in days, and with the way that Mark had her chained against her will, she wouldn't doubt that notion, either.

Bringing the plate almost to Ryan's face, Mark suddenly pulled away before Ryan could even reach out for it. He did this once more, twice more, over and over again, taunting the girl, and in Stephanie's mind, she knew, no one, not even Ryan, with all her faults, deserved this sort of mental abuse.

_"No wonder she's crazy!"_

Ryan, her hunger getting the best of her, reached her hand out in order to take the sandwich off the plate. And just like all the times before, Mark suddenly stood up to his full height, kicking the stool back to the wall, taking the plate with the sandwich and camcorder with him, while Ryan could be heard screaming out, "Nooooo! Please! Don't leave me! I'll do better! Don't …. !"

"04-08-99".

Mark walked back into the room, positioning the camera on the table, as usual, the lights on.

Ryan was sitting with her back to the wall again, her head slightly slumped, the sound of her hunger heard loudly throughout the room. Ryan, defeated, had the keys once again dangled precariously in front of her face, back and forth again, however this time, her face was facing the floor, so she couldn't see in what direction they were actually traveling in.

Murmuring out something inaudible, Mark lifted Ryan's head up with two fingers, her knotted blonde hair sticking all over her head, looking deep into her soul it seemed, all the while, dancing those damned keys in front of her face again, as Ryan began suddenly began following them, almost in a hypnotic like state. She didn't reach for them this time, either; instead she simply followed them with her eyes for another five minutes or so, nothing but keys jiggling and prancing in front of her face.

After Mark tired of them, the continued clinking of metal against metal actually making Stephanie a bit nauseous from the persisting sound, Mark brought another sandwich lying on a small plate to Ryan's face, wafting the smell of it under her nose. Again, instead of reaching out for it like she had done last time, this time, she simply scanned sandwich with feverishness, however, never allowing her body to overthink her actions. She kept her chained hands in front of her lap, never once breaking her concentration.

After toying with Ryan for another two minutes or so, Mark suddenly stopped rocking the plate back and forth in front of her face, instead, holding it steady in front of her face, merely holding the plate by his fingertips.

Nodding his head once, Ryan, with shaky hands, reached out and lightly plucked the sandwich off of the plate. Holding it in her hands for a moment before she took a bite, Ryan took a chance of looking up at Mark, attempting to read his expression, which was majority of the time, void of all human emotion.

Nodding his head again, Ryan slowly bit into it, more than likely, tasting the first morsel of food that she had probably eaten in days. Devouring the sandwich in mere seconds, Mark handed Ryan a bottle of spring water, the girl gulping it down with ease just as well. More than likely still famished, Ryan looked back up at Mark again, while he, with a very underhanded crook of his lips, loomed over the girl with his eyes, stroking the side of her face, still smiling at her wryly.

The video now faded to "04-13-99", a Tuesday.

The room was barely lit now. Ryan was kneeling in the middle of it, unchained this time, head lowered, hands slightly open, but nonetheless, down to her sides, legs spread slightly apart, wearing a ratty old t-shirt, a dirty pair of blue jeans, the bottom of her feet black from dirt, her hair looking as if it hadn't been washed in weeks.

Steph felt the pit of her stomach grow uneasy with sickness, as Mark, with no shirt on, wearing a loose pair of black sweatpants, his hair flying all over his back and shoulders, walked around the frightened girl in a circle, Ryan shaking and twitching with fear, the sounds of Mark's boots tapping down on the floor as he he walked around her, over and over again, arms folded behind his back, the sounds of the sole of his boots meeting concrete time after time deathly irritating for Stephanie, maddening for Ryan.

Steph tried to look into Ryan's face, to read her thoughts, but with her head downcast, she couldn't really tell, her body language however, did tell Stephanie one thing: Mark was breaking this poor girl. Sitting back down on the brown stool again, adjacent to Ryan's body, for the first time this episode, Mark spoke to her.

"Why are you like this?" Mark asked, his voice just as cool as ice. In no way, shape, nor form did he even sound in the least bit upset or downright angry with her, despite Ryan's demeanor suggesting otherwise, but Steph could tell, Ryan was in trouble, and she was in big trouble. Breathing heavy, her entire body seemed to be quivering, when Ryan spoke, her voice reflected that of a broken woman, as well.

"M-M-Mas-Master?" As Ryan murmured that out, Steph noticed that a deep red blush was traveling down her neck to Ryan's chest, suggesting she was embarrassed by her situation, and who could blame her?

"Why are you like this? Why are you here? Why are you here, kneeling before me?"

"I'm s-sorry …"

"Did I ask if you were sorry?"

"No."

"Then why'd you say you were sorry then?"

Silence. Ryan said nothing. She simply shook her downtrodden head, consciously realizing that she had made another mistake.

"Again. Why are you here?"

"Because you are … you're disappointed in me," Ryan whispered out lightly.

"Mmm hmm. And why am I disappointed in you?"

"Because of what I did when I got to the arena," Ryan said softly, whispering still.

"And what did you do at the arena?"

"I began crying and my brother … I …" Stephanie could tell Ryan was still struggling within herself. She obviously missed Kenny. The moment Ryan had even said his name, her voice began cracking, then trailing off. Mark was purposely keeping her away from her brother, just like he had done with her.

"What about your brother?"

"I missed him and I began crying in the boiler room. I embraced him. I helped him to find me with Mick."

"And what else did you do?"

"I questioned your judgement."

"Mmm. And did I like that?"

"No, Master."

"And why didn't I like that?"

"Because my world no longer involves Kenny."

"And who does your world revolve around now, girl?"

"You Master, and pleasing you, sir."

"So whose fault was it that Kenny had what happened to him?"

"Mines, sir.

"Why are you trembling?"

"Because I'm afraid, Master."

"Why are you afraid?"

"Because I know you are upset with me, Master?"

"Do you deserve to be punished?"

Nodding, whimpering, Ryan, almost breathlessly, cried out, "Yes, Master."

"And why will you being punished? What did you do?"

"I disappointed you by embracing others beside you, sir."

"And what should your punishment be now that you have disappointed me?"

"No, food?" Ryan half asked, half stated.

"Mmm hmm. And what else?"

"A spanking," Ryan said most definitely, so low, however that the words barely resonated with Stephanie, who was squirming and twitching in the leather seat herself, suddenly uncomfortable.

For one, Stephanie remembered the first … and hopefully … the only time Mark had given her a spanking, and it definitely wasn't fun. She could only imagine what Mark was going to do to Ryan, whom he absolutely had no allegiance or emotional attachment to. When Stephanie received her spanking, she was Mark's wife, but Ryan was just another servant to him; he could literally do anything he wanted to do with her!

Looking over at him for a moment, Stephanie realized that Mark was staring back at her, his eyes blacker than the depth of his unnatural soul. Looking back at the screen, Stephanie paid close attention as Mark reached his hand out to Ryan, taking her hand into his, lifting the girl from the floor. With her eyes still cast to the floor, Mark brought his fingers to Ryan's jeans fastening, unbuttoning and unzipping her pants, ordering her to step out of them once they fell past her knees.

Stepping out of them, revealing the lower half of her body, wearing a bare pair of brief panties, Mark took Ryan's hand and slightly pulled her over his lap, Ryan not daring to put up a fight, as the reddening of her skin had now found itself all over her cheeks and arms.

With his forearm pressed slightly into her back, Stephanie suddenly heard the sounds of Ryan's sobs, her body going into spasms now, from the mere paralyzing thought on having to wait in order to be spanked. Mark then leaned over on the side of the stool and brought up a thick, black leather belt, Stephanie's stomach doing acrobatics now, in complete shock that Mark was actually going to use a belt in order to discipline Ryan!

No, they weren't friends in the least, but Stephanie could still feel empathy and compassion for another woman's plight, especially her's at the present. No one deserved what she was about to receive … but she didn't say anything in protest, and neither did Ryan.

"You are never going to disobey me again, understand? You have had more than a few chances to govern your own behavior accordingly, in order to live up to my expectations, and you've failed. From this moment forward, you won't ever disappoint me again, is that understood?"

Nodding, while still over Mark's knees, Ryan whispered out, "Yes, sir, Master," as Stephanie continued to watch on in horror, Ryan's behind clenching up as Mark raised his right hand, belt firmly in place. As the belt was crashing down to Ryan's bottom, Stephanie and Ryan both squelched out, the pain surely to be unbearable, but instead, nothing happened.

There was no yelling from the pain of leather meeting skin, there was no redness of Ryan's bottom, no tears other than the one's already flowing from Ryan's face.

No, instead, as Stephanie gathered up the courage to return her eyes to the screen, just as Ryan was turning back around to face Mark, he was holding the belt tightly in his hand, belt hanging in the air. Could he drop his hand down at any moment and strike her? Absolutely. But he didn't.

Allowing his hand to fall to his side, Ryan and Stephanie both heard the clank of the belt's buckle hit the floor, and immediately, both women released a sigh of relief. Could Mark take his hand now and spank her, just as he had done with Stephanie? Of course, but he obviously had no intentions in doing that.

Pulling Ryan back to her feet by the back of her arm, Mark looked back up at the girl, who was looking quite relieved that he had chosen not to impose his physical will over her, but Mark did not let her off the hook so easily.

"That was strike one. Count your blessings, because you deserve everything you were about to get, _but_, never say that I'm not a fair … and _patient_ man. Strike two is when you get it, and Ryan, I mean it. If you slip up just once, if you fail me …"

Picking up the belt from the floor again, doubling it over, Steph watched as the color once again drained from Ryan's face, as Mark finished his statement, "… I guess I can show you better than I can tell you. Do I make absolutely myself clear?"

Letting her eyes fall back to the floor, Ryan answered, "Yes, Master. Thank you."

"04-24-99"

Mark once again had the camera positioned to where Ryan would usually be sitting at, but this time, she wasn't in the room. No, this time, Mark was the one who was sitting on that same brown stool again, in the same spot Ryan would usually reside.

Wearing a black shirt with the word, "Outlaws" standing out in red, with his prevalently tattooed arms folded up over it, wearing a pair dark blue jeans, and black books, with his legs outstretched and crossed, as well, Mark sat patiently upon the stool, back to the wall, apparently waiting on something … or more specifically … someone. Stephanie then heard the squeak of the door opening again.

As the door apparently closed, Stephanie watched as Mark's eyes began to light up with that poisonous mix of happiness and evilness.

Leaning up, placing his right forearm over his right leg, Stephanie observed carefully as Ryan walked into the camera's focus, but this time, she wasn't hanging her head. This time, she seemed to be smiling along with Mark, that same smile that she always seemed to wear whenever she was in Mark's company now. That demonic, fanatical looking smile, the one that sent shivers down Stephanie's spine whenever she looked at it.

And what's more, Ryan, who was wearing another white shirt, had a black liquid dripping all down the front and the back of it, coming from her hair, which was dripping wet itself, the liquid running down Ryan's neck, shoulders, and arms, as well. While she continued to stand there, as if she was mystified by Mark's overall presence, he gently handed her a towel that had been lying on the floor besides him.

Taking the towel and rubbing it all over her hair, when Ryan brought it back down again, the black whatever was now mixed into the whiteness of the towel. Realizing that Ryan had dyed her hair, Stephanie heard Mark say in one of the most sincerest tones she had ever heard, "Watch your nose. We wouldn't want you to start bleeding."

Answering back with a quaint and polite, yet enthusiastic, "Yes, Master," Stephanie came to the realization that Ryan had obviously gone out, with Mark's accompaniment, and gotten her nose pierced. Facing the camera somewhat, Steph's observation was confirmed, because once again, she saw that thin, black, hoop-like ring protruding out of her nose slightly. Rising to stand in front of her, Mark took his hand and ran it over Ryan's jawline tenderly, and once again, that psychopathic like smile graced Ryan's face.

It was almost like day and night with this girl. One moment she was normal, or about as normal as you could get, the next, she was part of this Ministry, and no one in the Ministry, not even Mark himself, was sane. That whole entire faction thrived on pure evil, destruction, and chaos, but for the most part, they had already had that fire in them before they joined the group; obviously, Ryan was now part of this group, not by her own free will, but because of Mark's harsh and inhumane treatment of her.

No wonder she hated her own flesh and blood. Mark had made Ryan's entire world revolve around him and pleasing him to the point where no one else, not even herself and her own well-being, mattered.

Clicking the button to the projector, turning it off, Mark walked to the back of the room again, turning on the lights to the theater back on, walking right back in front of Stephanie, who was sitting sideways in her seat now, disturbed to no end.

_"So that's what happened to her? That's what Mark did to her." _

Stephanie, cautiously, looked back up at her husband, who was literally standing before her, his eyes aglow with evil. Not sure what to say or what to do, her stomach quite unsettled from having to watch the mental decline of another woman, Stephanie sat in the chair, with her own eyes downcast now, as she wrenched her fingers back and forth, something she always did when she was nervous, and right now, she very much was.

"Is that what you wanted to see? You wanted to see that, right? I hope I didn't shatter your dreams, but I couldn't live up to your expectations of fucking her. Sorry."

Shaking her head, Stephanie whispered out, low and revolted, "How could you do that to her? That's Kenny's sister, Mark."

"Yeah, I know who she is … _was_," Mark made sure to counter darkly. "You said I'm trying to make you the next her, right? Think again, Princess. If I wanted to, trust me, I could, but I didn't, and I have no desire to. But, if you don't get your act together …"

"What? You're going to turn me into the next her? Is that it?" Stephanie, having the slight courage, asked lightly, looking up at her husband from the side, her hair dangling beside her face and shoulder.

"I never said that. Once again, you assumed that. Just like you assumed you wanted to be with me. And I'm not quite so sure you still do."

Shaking her head, on the verge of tears, Stephanie, biting her lip, leaning her head over in the direction of her husband, replied regretfully, "You know, Mark, I think you're right."

Nodding his head, then looking around for a moment, Mark asked finally, licking his tongue over his teeth, "So, what do you propose we do about it?"


	53. There's No Place Like Home

There seemed to be hundreds, thousands of people, all walking around Stephanie now, all of them, going about their day, some laughing and talking with each other as they passed along, others, simply sitting down, catching up on a good book or reading the latest magazine.

It was all noisy and crowded, not like the in and out experience Stephanie usually received, but definitely one Steph had become accustomed to while living with Mark for the past several weeks. Looking back at Bernard, Stephanie almost ignored his question completely, her mind seemingly absent from the present.

"I'm … I'm sorry, it's quite noisy in here, can you repeat what you asked?"

"I asked," the older gentlemen in an all blue suit with a golden eagle on his lapel, who was helping Stephanie with her luggage, continued. "I asked, are you from round here, you know, New York, or are you visiting your folks, your family, or somebody."

Nodding now, Stephanie smiled weakly, "Yes … no. I mean, I was born and raised just up the road … Greenwich, actually."

Noting the ring on Stephanie's finger, Bernard asked in a deep Southern accent, "Not trying to intrude ma'am, but what's a pretty young thang like yourself doing flying across country like this all by yourself? Your husband or the one that's courting you ought have seen you to your flight, if you don't mind me saying so."

Smiling and laughing just a tad, Stephanie waved her hand back and forth, saying, "Oh, no, no, you see, my husband, he's … he's … away on business, and he couldn't make the trip. He's usually with me all the time … it's just this one time, you know?"

"I should hope so. I know a pretty young lady like you can most likely take care of herself, _but_ you can never be too careful these days. Ain't like it was when I was coming up, young man from Georgia. Nope, thangs have changed."

Nodding, Stephanie's mind all over the place, replied back, "Right, right."

Walking out into the front of Westchester County Airport to an awaiting black car, the clouds in the sky creating a gloomy overcast, a chauffeur standing outside of it, awaiting to take Stephanie back home, her real one in nearby Greenwich, Steph, as Bernard packed her luggage into the trunk, rummaged through her purse, looking for spare change. Not finding any, Steph asked, almost embarrassed, "Bernard, I hate to bother you …"

"Not bothering me, ma'am," as he continued to load Steph's luggage in the trunk of the car. "This here my job."

"Yes, thank you, I appreciate that, but I was wondering did you have any spare change maybe for a payphone? All I have is solid bills."

"Sure, thing, Ms. um…"

"Calaway … I mean, McMahon …?"

Handing Stephanie the change for the payphone, Bernard, curious, laughed and asked, "Well, which is it, Calaway or McMahon?"

"McMahon, sorry. My mind is … it's … it's all over the place today. Just have a lot going on today," stuff smiled in a huff, but clearly, she wasn't in the mood for a lot of smiling.

"Naw, naw, it's ok. Look, Gone head, make your phone call, while I finish putting your stuff up."

Nodding and smiling, Steph walked back inside the airport, her stomach feeling the worst it had in weeks, similar to the feeling when she was strapped to that symbol, about to become Mark's bride. Maybe because for the second time in one month, she was being ushered into a life direction she wasn't willing to go down.

Everywhere Steph looked, there were families, a couple swinging their toddler son in the air as they held both of his tiny hands as they walked along, a group of friends all laughing with each other while they walked through the airport, one guy even giving his other guy friend a wedgie, and there was Stephanie, all alone.

On Thursday, after Mark showed her the tape of what happened to Ryan, the two both made the mutual decision that perhaps it was best for their relationship if they both took some time off from one another. Initially, there were to be no hard feelings; Mark assured Steph that whenever, if ever, she felt ready to work on their relationship again, that he'd be right back in Texas waiting on her, but Steph couldn't get over what he had purposely done to Shane and Vince, and that was the primary reason why she decided to make the trip back to Connecticut … alone.

The night before Steph left was very awkward, however. Mark kept his distance from her, and in turn, Steph did the same … and it hurt. Mark was the first man that she had ever fallen in love with, and she had given up so much for him, her friends, her family, her virginity, and now that they were separating, everything she had done, Steph felt she had done in vain.

Everything that she had sacrificed for her marriage was in total failure, and in short, that made Stephanie feel like a failure, as well, since she, only at the age of twenty two, was heading down the lane of most likely divorce. She and Mark, just like the previous nights, didn't even sleep together. In fact, the next morning when she was stirring in the bed, honestly feeling around for her husband's body, which was usually right beside her, it wasn't there.

The only thing Stephanie did find once she realized the dire nature of her predicament was an envelope at the foot of the bed, inside, $3,500, to help pay for her plane ticket, travel expenses, and anything else she needed in between Houston and Greenwich. And that was that. A taxi came by and picked Stephanie up around ten that Friday morning, dropping her off at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and she arrived back in near Connecticut around six that evening.

The most daunting thing of all for Stephanie, other than separating from a man whom she had assumed was the most important man in her life, was the fact that she didn't even get the chance to kiss her husband goodbye. And that was enough to bring her to tears.

Walking over to a payphone booth inside the airport, brushing the water that was slowly trickling down her face away, Steph entered the seven digits of her home telephone number, praying deep inside that Linda, Vince, or Shane wouldn't answer the phone. She had to get herself together first, and even over the phone, Steph could tell she sounded a mess. After the phone rang four times, Steph heard a familiar voice on the other end of the line.

"The McMahon residence, this is Gracie speaking, how may I help you?"

"Gracie … this is Stephanie, please, just … don't ask any questions, please, just tell me, is my mom at home?"

"Steph … Stephanie … she is! Oh, my God, are you alright? Just tel…"

"Gracie, please, put my mom on the phone, just don't tell her who it is, please, I don't want her to be alarmed. Please."

Hearing the receiver drop, Steph put another quarter into the payphone for good measure, just in case Gracie, their longtime housekeeper, was off fetching her mother for more than two minutes. Hearing the phone pick up, Linda spoke into the receiver. "You've reached the McMahon residence, this is Linda McMahon, may I ask whom I'm presently speaking with?"

"Mom…"

"Stephanie?!" Linda, in heightened alarm screeched out. She hadn't heard the voice of her daughter in more than two weeks, and here she was, over the phone, speaking with her, the sound of her only daughter's voice making tears roll down her face almost instantly. "Stephanie, dear God, tell me, are you alright? Where are you? Has Mark hurt you? Wh…"

"I'm fine, Mom," Steph reassured, as she fed another quarter into the payphone. "I'm fine. I'm almost in Greenwich."

"You are?! Please, tell me where, I'll have a car to come and get you, your father and I will…"

Cutting her off once again, crying herself now, Steph reassured, "No, mom, no. You and Dad stay where you are. I have a car. I'm just calling to let you know that I'll be home soon. I'm coming home," Steph said within tears, the man in the next phone booth looking over at her strangely.

"Stephanie, how soon? Where are you? Please tell me, we need to know this."

"I'm at the airport, mom. Please, I've got a car and everything. I just called you to let you know to … to just be waiting for me, maybe in about an hour, ok?"

Nodding on the other end, tears of joy rolling down Linda's face, the elder McMahon said, "Please get here, baby. We've all missed you terribly."

"I know, Mom, I know. Talk to you when I get there."

"Please, Stephanie. I love you, ok?"

A tear slipping past Steph's chin, dropping onto the receiver, Steph whispered back, "Love you too, Mom," as she slowly place the phone back on the cradle, the change from the call clinking against the spare change door, as she wiped her face free of tears, walking back outside to the car, where Bernard had finished packing all of her luggage.

"Well, Ms. McMahon, you're all set. I hope you have a pleasant trip."

"Thank you, for your help." Reaching inside her purse and wallet again, Steph didn't have any small bills, and since she was thankful for Bernard's help, she gave his a crisp, brand new $100 bill for his service, which of course, blew him completely away. Clutching the money in his hand, Bernard started, "Oh, no, ma'am, I can't talk all this. This too much …"

"No, please, take it," Steph stated as she grabbed his hands, pushing the money almost back to his chest. "I want you to have it. I insist."

Tipping his hat to Stephanie and smiling, Bernard said, "Well, thank you ma'am. I think I might even get me a steak today. You have yourself a blessed one, hear?"

"Yes, thank you. You too."

And with that, with the chauffeur opening the door for her, Stephanie stepped inside the backseat of the car, mentally trying to reprogram herself back to Greenwich living, the quaintness and serenity of small city living on a big city budget; all the high end shops and boutiques, the family owned businesses, the small government buildings, and the outrageous mansions that seemed to be separated from each other by life years instead of feet.

The more and more Steph passed through town and eventually through her subdivision, with the tall wrought iron gate to keep non-residents out, Steph began to miss Houston more and more. On one hand, Steph did genuinely want to be back, she wanted to see the people whom she honestly missed, her parents, her brother, even the housekeepers and other hired help, but on the other hand, she felt empty without Mark driving through the huge cityscape.

One of the many things that surprised her the most about Mark, even though he was very unpredictable at times, was the fact that he was really a good … _and responsible_ … driver. And while that part honestly baffled her about him, Steph couldn't let Mark get away with the atrocities that he had committed. If she did, he would simply continue to step all over her any time he felt like it, and quite frankly, Steph was tired of being a doormat.

As the car came around a heavily wooded bend, Steph realized that she was pulling up to a very familiar white gate — the gate of her childhood home, the gate that separated so many memories for, her family, and her old life — and she was mere seconds from being reacquainted with all of them.

As the gate opened and the car drove up the long circular driveway, Linda and Gracie were both standing outside, anxiously awaiting Stephanie's arrival. As the chauffeur exited the driver's door, Steph felt butterflies all through her stomach. Would her family immediately ask about her time with Mark? Would they want to know if she and Mark had consummated their marriage? Would Linda and Vince immediately want her to strive for a divorce?

As the driver stood over the passenger door next to where Stephanie was sitting momentarily, then finally opening it, as Stephanie stepped out, smelling the pristine Greenwich air, both Gracie and Linda rushed to her, hugging Steph, kissing her, crying, ecstatic, excited, and beyond joyful to see the girl back in one piece. Linda was weeping openly and uncontrollably now, squeezing Stephanie so hard in an embrace that Steph didn't even know her mother was even capable of.

That scene must have carried on for another four or five minutes, seemingly going on forever, and while Steph knew that everyone would more than likely be enamored by her return, she on the other hand felt nothing but numbness, both inside and out.


	54. Angel of Mine

As Mark lie shirtless on the bed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Manchester, with a stiff bottle of Jack Daniels resting firmly in his hand, looking over at the clock on the nightstand, it was 11:01 a.m. He had a lot on his mind, but his thoughts were momentarily distracted by some kind of raucous noise coming from the outside of the hotel. Strange thing was, he was on the twelfth floor, and it sounded like the Beatles' fans, circa 1964, had taken refuge outside of the building.

Walking over to the window and pulling the thick drapery slightly ajar, liquor bottle still in hand, Mark veered down to see a wall of fans, at least 1,000 of them, at the base of the hotel, chanting a mixture of "3:16", "Let's go Rocky", and strangest of all, "Head", the thought, even if he wasn't a bit tipsy, almost making him chuckle a bit.

Whenever the WWF travelled to the United Kingdom, the fans always went of their way to treat the superstars and Divas like rockstars, mostly because they were so wrestling deprived. The show itself was also always beyond memorable, as well.

In 97, Taker recalled how Shawn Michaels almost caused a near riot in and outside of the the arena, after the British Bulldog, the hometown hero, lost his match against HBK. Shawn's blatant and exuberant celebrations didn't do them any favors, either, as fans pelted he, Hemsley, and Chyna with mounds of garbage.

And just last year, Mark recalled how he competed in a Fatal Four Way Match against Mankind, Kane, and Austin. And while he had come up short in that bout, later on in the night, Mark was more surer than death itself that he was going to be the next World Wrestling Federation champion. It was his destiny.

Sitting at the foot of the bed, Mark attempted to drown his thoughts and sorrows within the bottle, but now, his favorite and most preferred drink of choice suddenly had a bitter, acidic taste to it, causing him to spit the Jack out through his teeth, the remnants splattering across the carpeted floor.

Between the thoughts of winning the title tonight and Stephanie choosing to go back home to Greenwich, Mark's mind was cloudy, and he partly blamed his cloudiness all on one person.

Dropping the half empty bottle to the ground, the brown liquid seeping slowly out of the bottle, onto the floor, Mark thought back to Thursday night, right before he caught his flight to Manchester.

He had intentionally left Stephanie at home alone while she packed for her journey back to Greenwich. While he was definitely upset about her decision, he made the self-conclusion a long time ago that if Steph ever wanted to go back home, then he wouldn't be the one stand to in her way, and that's exactly what he had done.

She wanted to leave and he wasn't going to force her to stay. But just because she was going back home didn't mean that he had to stand around and watch her leave, choosing to get the hell out of there as soon as the sun went down.

Driving into town to sit and think at his favorite bar, _Harry's_, Mark ordered the largest bottle of Jack Daniels the bar had in stock, found himself a dark table near the recesses of the building, and got sloppy drunk. Even hearing the nearing of clicking heels walking his way couldn't sober him up. As he looked up through heavy lidded eyes, he saw a voluptuous blonde vixen, the fixation of men of everywhere, who just so happened to be his occasional mistress and attorney, standing right there in front of him.

Watching as Mark barely had the courage to break up the apparent love making session between his lips and the glass bottle, banging it hard against the wooden table as his arm drooped down to his side, Angel, tapping her Louis Vuitton heels against the concrete floor, arms folded up, shaking her head, was in disgust at the sight of one of her most important clients in such a drunken stupor.

With her red lipstick shining brightly even in the darkness of the bar, Angel, disappointedly so, looked down at Mark, asking sarcastically, "My, isn't this the sight? I hope you remember that you have a flight to catch at the crack of dawn, or did you forget that in the middle of your um … your drinking?"

Flicking her wrist to look over the dial of her gold Rolex, Angel stared back at Mark, who was now slouching back into the cushioned booth, and reminded, "And with it being oh, 11:34 p.m., I say you have only about six hours to sober up, so with that …"

That's when she swooped in and attempted to take the glass bottle Mark was nursing in his right hand away from him, only Mark wasn't letting it go so easily.

After dead staring her in the eyes for about ten seconds, as Angel returned a white hot stare of her own, Mark finally gave in and loosened his grip on the bottle, realizing he had reached his limit anyway. Placing the bottle on a nearby table, Angel placed her hands on her hips, attempting to re-lecture mark.

"I guess I might have to cancel all my plans for tomorrow then."

Belching, then rolling his eyes, the smell of alcohol traveling through the air, causing Angel to fan the horrid smell from her face, Mark managed, "What the fuck for …?"

Continuing to shake her head, Angel stated cleverly, "Because you're going to be too drunk to even board the flight, and considering how the UK is extra sensitive and strict about passenger etiquette, you won't even make it past TSA, let alone get on and off the flight, so you apparently need a handler or babysitter or something like that. I think I'm well overdue for a vacation. I've never travelled to Manchester, but there's a first time for everything. What do you think?"

Not saying anything, just wanting to continue wallow in self-pity, Mark heard Angel sucking her teeth, snickering.

Taking a chance to look up at the curvaceous woman, whom he was honestly seeing three of at the present, Angel found it comical to ask, "So, I guess I was right? Aw, Marky, wittle Stephy weft you alweady? Didn't I tell you she was too much of a wittle girl to handle a grown man such as yourself? What, her itty bitty feelyings got hwurt bwy someshing you shed? Huh? She gotta a wittle boo boo?"

Having enough of Angel's blatant taunting, Mark stood up from the booth, however wobbly, looked down at the sparkly eyes of his attorney, who seemed rather gleeful about the notion of Mark and Stephanie separating, slightly pushing Angel out of his way, causing the younger woman to lose her balance momentarily, as he drunkenly staggered out of the bar, announcing with slurred speech, "Harry … my tab."

Harry, rinsing out a glass, acknowledged Mark by raising his fist in the air, yelling out over the noisy crowd, "Sure thing, Mark! Hey, take it easy on the roads! Cops out like crazy tonight."

Walking outside, letting the semi-humid Houston air hit his face, Mark wrestled with his jeans pockets for his motorcycle keys, wanting to flee the bar … and Angel … as quickly as possible. Unfortunately for him, however, Angel was following right behind him, grinning and giggling on mockingly.

Lacing her fingers around Mark's neck from behind, having to stand on her tip toes to do so, kissing him along his face, Angel breathed out slowly, saying "Mark, look, if it makes you feel any better, I'm sorry your farce of a marriage is going down the shitter, but truth be told, I told you this would happen.

Not to brag, but had you done things _my_ way, you could have married Stephanie, _legally_, you'd have the girl, the keys to the company, and all would be well, but no, since you had to do things _your_ way, this is what happens. I told you little Stephy wasn't ready for the big time, even if things had gone my way, and I was right about that, too. She's not like you and me, Mark. She doesn't have that killer instinct. She's too sweet; she's twenty two still with stuffed animals in her bedroom for God's sake, and despite her being a 'McMahon', she still doesn't have _it_. Sorry this had to happen to you, but you have to admit, it was for your own good."

Sucking his own teeth now, looking up into the nighttime sky, wishing desperately a meteorite would crash into Earth and land directly on him, Mark, with a heavy drunken slur then asked, "Little girl, huh? Oh, and how'd you even know about me and 'Stephy'," Mark asked, clearly doing some mocking of his own now. "You stalking me, woman?"

Rubbing her hands through Mark's dark hair and scalp, kissing the back of his neck, Angel chuckled out again, "No, smart ass. I stopped by your place to have you to sign certain documents about your new ownership, which have a deadline to be returned to the World Wrestling Federation by next week, but I didn't find you there."

Lacing her hands around Mark's waist, Angel proceeded to say, "What I _did_ find were several pieces of luggage in the foyer, and that's never a good sign, so I took it for what it was. It was only until I saw little Stephy walk down the stairs in a huff, tears rolling down her poor little face, that my suspicions were confirmed."

Tracing her hand up and down his chest, while the palm of her other hand pressed hard against his pecs and abdomen, Angel proposed, "Now that that little slut is out of the way, I think it's time that we finally moved on with _our_ life together, don't you think?"

"_Our_ life? Don't you got an old man?" Mark asked, still tipsy from his rendezvous with that bottle of Jack.

"I have a _boy_, not a man. A boy who can't seem to tame _all_ this grown woman, just like you have a little girl, who can't seem to tame _all_ this grown man."

Grabbing Mark by the bulge of his anatomy, Angel bit alongside his shoulder, speaking seductively enough, saying, "So, how about I divorce him, you divorce little Stephy, and hell, while we're at it, before we go off to the chapel, black tux for you, pale pink dress for me, because God knows I'm no virgin, how about we play matchmaker? Stephy can have my runt, they'll have some mediocre runts for children, while we raise a couple of powerhouses; adoption only, of course. I mean, we wouldn't want to ruin this great figure, now would we? And we'll all live happily ever after. Yeah, I think that sounds about right."

Waving her hand over the sky, running off her brilliant idea, Angel pre-quoted, "Mr. and Mrs. Mark and Angel Calway. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

As Angel continued to peck along Mark's neck, leaving her lipstick stain over his skin, licking her tongue over his pulsating vein, Mark, turning around to face Angel, with the look of the Devil shining from his eyes, grabbed Angel around the waist, pulling her close to him, to really let her know how serious he was about her proposition.

"Angel?" Mark asked low enough to make Angel want to cream her panties right then and there.

"Um hum? Yes, daddy?"

"Before I say yes, and you know I am …" and with that Mark patted her on the behind, the smack audible enough to hear even a couple of feet away, while Angel squirmed under the weight of Mark's strong hands. Her pants picking up heavily now, Angel, licking her lips in wanton heat, desperately wanting to feel Mark moving in and out of her within the next few seconds, said between heavy gasps, "Yes, daddy, ask me anything."

"Have you ever thought about _not_ being a cheap whore?"

Unlacing her fingers from around Mark's neck, Angel, taken aback, but always one for a good comeback, remarked, "Well, in cheap, I don't think that would be fair, I would actually like to call myself a high price whore, since I wear great labels, drive great cars, but still … maybe … no. Why'd you ask?"

Throwing the bottle against the brick wall that made up _Harry's_ exterior, the glass shattering all over the sidewalk, Mark then stuck his finger in Angel's face and retorted, "Because if you did then you'd be sleeping with your old man every night, and not every Tom, _Dick_, and hell, maybe Harry himself inside, who knows? Point is Angel, I'm done with you. You can be my lawyer, I might keep you, but as far as sex goes, that's over and done with. I like my pussy warm and inviting, not cold and turning me around at the door before I even pay admission. You got that?"

Scoffing, folding her arms up, Angel, clearly surprised, replied stoically, "You can't mean that. You're drunk, and when you wake up tomorrow morning and realize what you've just said to me, you're going to regret it, because truth is Mark, I can do things to you that your little _bitch_ can never, and _will_ never do. Know that."

"And another thing," Mark said strongly, a warning tone deep inside his voice rising out of it. "The next time you call my wife a bitch, I'm really going to show you a bitch, _bitch_. Collar, leash, all fours, but hell, who am I talking? You just might like that."

Walking up to Mark and tracing her finger down his chest, clearly not taking his threat seriously, Angel made a biting motion towards his face, licking her lips, whispering seductively.

"Ooh, Mark, you're into kink, I like that. But fine, I'll never bother you about sex again. As a matter of fact, what's your brother's telephone number, you know, the burnt one who wears that mask, kinda retarded? I'm sure he'd love to take a ride on the Angel Coaster. Bout as much pussy he's ever gonna get in his life anyway. Tata for now."

And with that, Angel wriggled her fingers and walked away from Mark almost as if a small confrontation just hadn't happened between the two, making her ass sashay robotically for good measure.

As two guys walked out of _Harry's_ with beers in their hand, Angel walked over to them both and asked quite loudly, "Hey, guys! Looking for a wild time, tonight?" her eyebrows going up and down in the process.

Realizing Angel was never going to change her ways, and even realizing that he too was too stuck in his ways, which is why Stephanie was now leaving him, Mark hopped on to his bike, crank up the machine, and veered down the highway, only thoughts of Stephanie and how to get her back on his mind.

* * *

><p>It was early Sunday morning, and as Stephanie looked over to her cute cat wall clock, she discovered it was a little after six in the morning. She was restless for a reason, as all of the Friday and Saturday's events surrounded with reconnecting with her family.<p>

She, Linda, and Gracie stayed up all Friday night, talking about the events that led up to Mark forcing her into marriage on live television, what happened afterwards, and what lead to her "escaping", as Linda tentatively put it, which put Stephanie in a bit of a bind. As far as she knew, Stephanie's marriage to Mark was over, but if she told the truth about what really happened between she and Mark, about how Stephanie was really in love with him, how she and Mark had wonderful sex, how the two made love on multiple occasions, and everything else that she had discovered about herself in the process … well, she didn't want to think about that potential outcome; all she knew was that the ending wouldn't be pretty.

However, if she blatantly lied, then she'd still inadvertently forging ahead with Mark's plans of working everyone around them, including her family, into making them believe that she hated him, and that couldn't be any further from the truth. In fact, no matter what Mark said or did, Steph just didn't have it in heart to hate anyone, let alone her own husband, but what was she to do in such a predicament?

In the end, however, Steph did what she thought was best … she lied.

For the most part, Steph told the truth about the events that led up to her being forced into marriage with Mark, how he had her under the constant watchful eyes of his Ministry and Ryan, forcing her to sleep on dirty mattresses in old worn down and abandoned warehouses, how she was forced to sign a marriage certificate after she and Mark married, but after that, her story began to steer further and further away from the truth.

It was at that moment that Stephanie began to tell this fanatical story of how Mark, although he hadn't laid a finger on her physically, and failed to also advance himself on to her sexually, forced her to live in the basement of some sort of Ministry undercover hangout in Death Valley, how she was under the Ministry's lock and key the entire time she was in their presence, which was partially true in the beginning, but not so much in the end, except when Mark was hellbent on her not finding out the results of Raw at each and every Monday, and how Mark, after he claimed he would regain the title in Manchester, simply allowed Steph to go back home, paying for her airfare and all of the other expenses, since he obviously couldn't force her to board an international flight, feeling the risk was far greater than the reward, which is how she ended up back in Greenwich.

But every since Steph returned home, Linda, a worried and terrified mother for the past four months, seemed to cry forever now that Steph was actually back home, beyond grateful that Mark had failed to truly hurt her and had returned her baby girl all in one piece, which really ate Stephanie up inside, having to lie to her mother like this, but what else was she to do? She didn't want to risk getting she, Mark, or the both of them in trouble, and the less Linda and the rest of her family knew about the real truth, the better off they'd all be as a family.

On Stephanie's first night back, however, Linda, while she and Gracie were sitting around talking, attempting to reconnect with each other, informed Stephanie about how X-Pac was accusing her of somehow conspiring against he and Kane, and how the brash young man seemed both passionate and adamant about Stephanie's involvement in the whole ordeal.

Of course, Stephanie denied all this, explaining simply that on the last Sunday Night Heat, X-Pac wanted answers from her about why Mark booked him into a Handicap Match against Kane and the Big Show, and after she simply couldn't accommodate him, because she knew nothing of the entire situation, X-Pac decided to take his anger and frustration out on her instead, which Linda believed completely, even going as far as saying, "Well, he doesn't go around calling himself a 'degenerate' for nothing, I suppose."

In the back of Stephanie's mind, however, she mentally screamed to herself,_"That little bastard!" _

Now that Stephanie had come to her senses, she _knew_ that she was wrong for what she _done_ to Sean and Kane, and maybe Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, and the Big Show too. She knew this from the moment she spoke with Mark about the situation at the Caribbean restaurant back in Florida, but she didn't expect X-Pac to actually go blabbing to her mom about it!

_"From now on, I keep my nose absolutely clean. Leave the booking up to the pros."_

Her initial day back home was especially hard for Stephanie for another number of different reasons, as well.

On top of missing Mark and seeing the hurt in her mother's eyes, Stephanie also saw Vince and Shane for the first time in weeks … and it was nothing short of heartbreaking.

Linda had taken the extra precaution of hiring two live in doctors to take care of the two men while they were to remain incapacitated, which told Stephanie before she even saw them that Mark had really gone out of his way to hurt the two most important men in her life. And she couldn't understand why.

Neither Vince nor Shane had ever done anything to Mark personally that would warrant such a cowardly assault, and while Stephanie was fully aware that Mark may have never laid a hand on Shane himself, in her opinion, he was equally responsible for Shane's injuries, after purposely booking him into a Street Fight against the Rock, so his hands weren't entirely clean in that regard, either.

First walking into Shane's room, Steph's eyes welled up with tears, while Shane's mostly filled with surprise.

It had been weeks since the pair had last seen each other, and Shane's blatant disregard for Stephanie's well-being was still fresh on her mind, but nevertheless, she wasn't directly holding him responsible for his actions.

Steph knew deep down inside how much her brother really loved her, and when people acquired power, it made them do strange things in order keep it, the perfect example being Mark himself.

Before Steph stepped into Shane's room, her brother didn't even know that his little sister was back home, and maybe it was because of that, the shock of it all, that he couldn't even look Stephanie in the face.

When Steph initially walked into his room, a doctor by the name of Myer Wilson, greeted Stephanie warmly, something her brother failed to do, instead choosing to only stare at his sister, mouth closed, eyes unreadable, and afterwards, once the initial shock of seeing his baby sister wore off, Shane focused his attention on anything but his sister.

Stephanie thought this surely must have been from the sure guilt that he was feeling, because for Shane to be such a powerful man before the Corporation dissolved, he surely didn't look like much of a powerful man when she first saw him again.

Dr. Wilson, who was applying ice to Shane's tailbone area, informed Steph that although Shane had both a bruised tailbone and a broken collarbone, with his arm also in a sling, as a result of taking Rock Bottom through the announcer's table, that even though Shane was a bit worse for wear, neither ailment required any form of surgery, just plenty of downtime, rest, and then eventual rehabilitation.

Stephanie, seeing that her brother was beyond embarrassed, decided to leave his room shortly thereafter, but not before giving him a peck of the cheek goodbye, reminding him to get plenty of rest, assuring she'd be back in the morning. Shane's response was cold, however, but Steph took it all in stride.

She knew Shane was a very prideful man, therefore it would take a little bit more time in order for him to come right out and apologize for his actions. Steph knew that Shane would … and _could_ … be the bigger person … unlike her husband, who refused to acknowledge any of his wrongdoings.

Walking down the hallway to a huge set of double doors, Stephanie, taking a deep breath, feeling as if she were visiting a hospital instead of her own home, gathered up the courage, and entered her parents' room, where Vince lie sleeping, but not in his own bed.

No, instead, Vince lie sleeping in a hospital bed, and it was at that sight of seeing her father, who rarely succumbed to any sort of illness, lying in a hospital bed, that Steph began to cry hysterically, completely unable to sustain her tears.

The sight of Vince, who was laying in a hospital bed, almost at a thirty degree angle, his arm too in a sling, looking absolutely horrible, as if he had just come out of a horrible car accident, was simply too much for Stephanie, who wailed away without any restraint whatsoever.

Another doctor, a female this time, Dr. Jenny Woodson, consoled Steph while she cried over her father, who suddenly reached his hand out and patted his baby girl's head lightly, as if he were silently letting her know that everything was going to be ok.

Unable to stop the rapid onslaught of tears, Steph cried out to her father in between sobs. "I'm so sorry, Dad … I'm sorry … I … This is my fault, Dad … I'm sor …"

Going back to tears, beside herself with grief, pain, and anguish, Vince, with raspy voice, attempting to say, "It's not …", Steph suddenly realized that Vince was having trouble speaking.

Looking up at her father, who looked back at her as only a loving father could, Stephanie dropped her head once again, weeping at her father's side. It was all too much for her.

Dr. Woodson, Vince's appointed live in doctor, informed Steph that among the clavicle and collarbone injuries that Vince sustained by the hands of Mark, he was also suffering from a bruised larynx and a concussion, and although Vince had come a long way back to actually speaking without the lingering feeling of pain or dizziness when he looked around the room, he still needed to rest his both his voice and his body.

Steph wanted desperately to lie in the hospital bed with her father, to let him know that she loved him, that she'd always be his baby girl, and she would stay by his side as long as he wanted her to, but she decided not to. Vince deserved rest, and Steph, kissing her father goodbye after what seemed like forever, went back to her own bedroom, sleeping in her own bed for the first time in months.

Saturday, Steph spent most of her day with Vince again, and even spent an entire hour with Shane. Although he didn't say much of anything to her, she wanted to let her family know that she was there for them. She loved them all, and she was secretly blaming herself for what they had gone through.

Throughout the day, Steph didn't have much of an appetite, but Linda made her fill her stomach with a hearty roast beef sandwich, warm soup, and fruit juice, all of which Gracie had prepared for the family.

Of course, Vince and Shane had a special diet of their own they were to consume, but for Stephanie, even though she initially wasn't hungry, her sadness overriding her happiness, once she ate, she felt a lot better, deciding to spend most of her day by her father's bedside.

When it was time for Stephanie to return back to bed later that evening, she went unwillingly, wanting to spend as much time with Vince, as possible, but once again, Linda reminded her that her health too was important, as well, and she ushered her daughter off into her own room again, back to her own bed.

That night, however, when everyone else seemed fast asleep, Steph crept down into her father's study, looking for something specific, and when she found it, she crept back into her room, making sure to lock the door behind her. Opening Vince's very large black book, a book which contained an assortment of things, from notes to pictures to a list of phone numbers of all the WWF superstar and Diva who had ever stepped foot in the company, Steph flipped through it vigorously, hoping she could find what she was looking for. Going through the book quickly, Stephanie came across a very rare picture, depicting a scene that made her chuckle out loud.

It was almost tradition for Vince and Shane, whenever they were going to sign new, top tier talent, to invite them to their home in Greenwich, and formally initiate them by having Shane push the unsuspecting superstar in the pool.

This particular picture, which was taken a year ago in 97, seven years after Mark had signed with the company, was especially funny to Steph, because for whatever reason, as Mark was meeting with Vince here in Greenwich, Shane thought it would be a fun idea to push Mark in the pool, since the tradition apparently started after Mark had already signed with the company.

Problem was, Mark outweighed Shane by at least eighty to ninety pounds, and instead of Mark going in the pool, it was Shane, with Steph shrieking playfully poolside, as Shane was the one who ultimately ended up in the pool. That was a fun day for all of them, because up until that point, Shane had been the undefeated champion of tossing people into the pool.

Going through the book some more, Steph found another picture of Mark, this time, he was backstage, reading over some papers, in his street clothes, that Stephanie herself was handing to him, when she was still working for the company in an assistant like role.

Steph couldn't help but to notice how different Mark looked physically now as opposed to then.

Last year, while Mark still had long black hair, today his hair was much longer and curlier when he wanted it to be. He had a goatee then, not a full on beard like he had today. The year prior, while Mark was still a huge man in size, he looked tank-like now in the year 99'. And most importantly, back in 98', Mark looked more … he looked more human. Like he still had a bit of soul left inside of him. Now, he looked as if he could care less about anything or anyone else but himself … and maybe this is just the picture Stephanie needed to see in order to fully realize that her marriage was over.

Flipping through the book some more, Stephanie came across the exact number she was hoping she would find.

Picking up the phone that sat near her bed, Steph began dialing the number, but something across the room suddenly caught her eye. Placing the cordless phone back onto her bed, Steph walked over to her dresser, and what she saw both startled and surprised her.

It was small in size, but just large enough in magnitude to put her on high alert, even when now, back in her own home, she wasn't supposed to be.

On top of her dresser, along with a few medals and awards she received from school, pictures of her and her friends, and amongst all of her other stuffed animals she had collected over the years, was a small, brown teddy bear. A teddy bear that was very similar to the one Mark had set on fire on Raw all those weeks ago. Obviously to her, this was not the exact same bear, but identical enough to others where most people would not be able to tell the difference between the two.

Picking it up and holding it close to her, Steph's uneasiness suddenly waned, as she found herself smiling now. For one, the teddy smelled just like the fragrance Linda's always wore, and two, she finally had a small piece of her former life back.

Walking back over to her bed with the teddy, Stephanie picked the up the cordless phone back up and dialed the number that was before her, hoping desperately that when the other person on the line picked up, they wouldn't curse her out.

"Hello," the male voice called out from the other end.

"Ken?" Steph asked shyly. "This is Stephanie … McMahon."

Ken, who was looking over at the clock at his nightstand, realizing it was almost noon, looked at his cell phone curiously, before answering, "Yeah, ok, Stephanie. Is there something you need or is this some sort of trick Mark has put you up to?"

"No, no," Steph said while gulping. "No, Mark hasn't put me up to anything. I'm in Greenwich with my parents. Look, I know you're busy preparing for your match tonight, and I want to make this brief, but I just want to apologize to you, and thank you again, for you know, saving me initially."

Sitting down on the hotel's bed, clad in only a pair of blue trunks, Ken answered, "Look, Steph, you don't have to apologize to me about anything, and you're welcome … again. I mean, it's not your fault you have a psycho for a husband."

Knowing Ken was still seeking revenge and retribution against Mark, for all the wrong he had done to Shamrock and his family in recent weeks, Stephanie shifted the conversation a bit and decided to ask about Ryan.

"Ken … just to ask … I mean, I don't know if you know, but me and Ryan had a pretty physical fight … like a real one a couple of weeks back, and she hasn't been seen since, and I'm kind of worried about her, since you know … have you by any chance talked to her?"

Hearing Ken breathe in and out of the phone slowly, taking his time to finally speak, with heavy heart, Kenny replied, "No, I haven't. You know, she told me she didn't want anything to do with me, and it's been a maybe a week or two since I last saw her, too."

Looking around her room, rubbing her teddy's belly, Steph asked, "Ken, before all this, when was the last time that you saw Ryan … you know … normal Ryan? I mean she took on this metamorphic like change almost instantly."

Rubbing his hands through his head, Ken replied, "I mean, I don't know. Maybe that Monday of the show, I think April 19th, not exactly sure the date. I mean, it's weird, you know? The week before, they had her down in the damn boiler room, and when they carted me off, I escaped, I came back for her, but she wasn't there. Then the following Sunday, right before Sunday Night Heat was to go on air, I got a phone call from her. She told me Mark had let her go and that she was at this bus station in Grand Rapids. I get there, pick her up, I was almost late for my match even, because I wanted to make sure she was absolutely safe. That next day, we drove to Lansing. I wanted her as far away from the arena as possible, but then Mark shows up on the Titantron and says he knows where she is. I called the room over and over again, couldn't get any answer, and when I finally make it there, wrestling gear and everything still on, Ryan wasn't there. She was gone. I mean, and you saw what happened at Backlash, and you know, that's it."

And that's when Stephanie realized: Ryan had set Kenny up! Even though Kenny seemingly left that hotel room in one piece, it suddenlydawned on her that Ryan was almost the recipient of a spanking the day after Ken found her in the boiling room, and she was willingly calling Mark "Master" afterwards, meaning Ryan was never in any danger!

Mark used her to lure Kenny away from the arena in order to attack the Big Show, to play mind games with Shamrock, and to assert his dominance over the locker room, while she and Vince were away at Titan Television Studios doing that interview with Michael Cole.

When Steph got back home in Greenwich the Tuesday after Monday Night Raw in Grand Rapids, when Vince, Pat, Jerry, and other WWF officials were going back over the show in Vince's study, Steph walked in and saw Mark and Viscera issuing a beating to the Acolytes. And before that, Mark was screaming at Paul Bearer about not having time for failure. Suddenly, everything was coming full circle for her.

Silent longer than she had anticipated she'd be, Steph heard Kenny ask through the phone, "Steph? Hello, you still there?"

Shaking her head, attempting to continue with the conversation, Steph sighed and replied heavily, "Yeah, Ken, I'm still here. So, you haven't heard anything from Ryan, huh?"

"No, but Steph, how about you don't worry about that right now. Look, I'm glad that you're back with your family; that's where you need to be. In times like this, sometimes the people you can count on the most is your family."

"Right," Steph said slowly, looking around her room.

"So, get you some rest, and tell your old man I said hello, for me, huh?"

"I will. Good luck on your title match tonight."

"Yeah, thanks. Bye, Steph."

"Bye."

And that was that.

As the sun was coming up over Stephanie's window, still holding her teddy bear, Steph continued to think about all the things that were going on in her life, between her family, Mark, Ryan and Kenny, and where her life would go from here.

So many thoughts were floating through her mind restlessly that Steph's heavily weighed upon brain completely began to shut down, as she decided to take Kenny's advice, adjusting herself in her bed, and closing her eyes for some well-deserved sleep.


	55. Show No Mercy

Steph awoke around noon, really late in the day for her, especially with her being a McMahon.

Throughout her entire life, Vince had always stressed the importance of being ahead of time as opposed to being on time, which is why he always left for a show several days in advance, and was always at the first to be at the arenas.

Going downstairs, Gracie greeted Stephanie warmly, as she was preparing Vince and Shane's special lunch they were to eat for the day.

But something was odd to Stephanie this afternoon. She didn't smell the lingering fragrance of her mother's perfume wafting through the house. Every Sunday afternoon, Linda, in conjunction with her bookclub ladies, hosted a brunch to go over the latest developments of whatever novel they happened to be reading, but today, the outside was barren of ladies, there were no teacakes and mimosas, in fact, Stephanie didn't hear Linda's voice at all.

Looking around the kitchen curiously, Stephanie asked, "Gracie, where's my mom? Isn't she supposed to be holding her book club brunch here today?

Looking over to Stephanie while still preparing Vince and Shane's lunch, Gracie said calmly, "I thought you knew …"

Smiling to mask her confusion, Stephanie asked back curiously, "Knew what? She hasn't told me anything."

"Well, tonight is, you know, the special pay-per-view from Manchester, the one your daddy's comp … the one the company holds in England every year. She left last night around eight. She's going to be the special guest referee for the big match involving Austin, Shamrock, and you know … I thought you knew."

Sighing, placing her hands in her head, Stephanie had completely forgotten how Shawn Michaels had announced that Linda would be to be the special guest referee for the Triple Threat Match tonight at No Mercy UK.

_"That's why she wanted me to go to bed so early," _Steph thought to herself worriedly.

Now that Linda was gone, Stephanie's already plagued mind went into overdrive.

She and Mark were now separated. He had no allegiance to her again, which meant that he could do whatever the hell it was that he wanted to do, Stephanie rationalized.

After intentionally dismantling both Shane and Vince, and after Mark showed her that horrible video of him systematically brainwashing Ryan, there was literally no telling what he could do to Linda now that that their marriage was ending.

Biting her fingernails in angst, Stephanie barreled out of the kitchen, making a beeline for the stairs, running straight into her bedroom, grabbing the cordless phone, attempting to call Mark, hoping desperately that maybe she could talk some sense into him before he did something crazy again.

Looking at her clock on the wall, Stephanie saw that it was 12:15 p.m., and doing some calculations, deduced that it was about 5:15 p.m. there in the UK.

Dialing in his number frantically, Stephanie called over and over again, never receiving an answer, however.

Trying his beeper now, Stephanie grabbed her pager from her nightstand, powered it on, and paged Mark to get back with her ASAP.

"Oh, who am I kidding?" Steph thought agonizingly aloud. "He's probably preparing for the show by now!"

Realizing there was nothing she could do about the situation, Stephanie, worried sick once again, grabbed her remote control, powered on her television, turned to the nearest PPV channel that was offering the show, purchased it, and tuned in to the countdown, impatiently waiting for the start of No Mercy UK.

* * *

><p>The Ministry's locker room was unusually festive, albeit each member of the Brood didn't look quite so happy as everyone else did.<p>

Earlier in the night, Mideon surprisingly defeated Edge to advance to the Finals of the European Championship Tournament, while Billy Gunn defeated Goldust to advance to the Finals, as well. The winner between both Mideon and Billy to be crowned the new European Champion at Over the Edge in Kansas City next Sunday.

As far as the Acolytes were concerned, both men were swigging and wasting beer all over themselves, after they managed to defeat Kane and X-Pac for the tag team titles, after, once again, Billy Gunn interfered in the match, distracting X-Pac, who walked right into Bradshaw's Clothesline from Hell, making he and Farooq the new tag team champions!

On top of that, the Ministry had the pleasure of watching former Corporation members, Triple H and Big Bossman, tear each other from limb to limb in a No Disqualification match, after the Acolytes match was over, as well. After one too many interferences from Chyna, the Rock, who had a huge score to settle with Triple H, ran down to the ring and delivered thunderous right hands to the blonde superstar, before finally dropping him with Rock Bottom!

And even after Chyna got in the ring, turning the Rock around forcefully, demanding to know why Rocky interfered in the match, the Rock, just for good measure, gave her a Rock Bottom, as well! Even though Chyna was a woman, the people in the UK apparently loved seeing her get hers!

With Rocky's interference successfully allowing Bossman to cover Triple H for the win, the UK crowd, loving the appearance of the Great One, almost blew the roof off the Manchester Evening News Arena.

Things really heated up for the crowd after the Rock, stalking Bossman after the referee was holding up his hand in victory, who obviously hadn't forgotten about Bossman's transgressions against him as a member of the Corporation, turned the Bossman around, and dropped him to the mat with a Rock Bottom, too!

Going over to the top ring rope, the Rock raised his hand in glory, with his very expensive unbuttoned silk Versace shirt fluttering behind him, the people in Manchester pumped at seeing Rocky stand tall over his victims.

Back in the locker room, with the Ministry coming off their climatic highs, a camera in the far of the room, caught Taker, with water dripping off his long hair, sweat coming off his body, and his head buried against the locker stall, mentally preparing himself for the most important match of his entire career.

Paul Bearer, acting as Taker's inspirational leader, quietly reminded him of all the reasons why Taker was now the new majority owner of the WWF, why he was married Stephanie McMahon now, and why he would conquer Shamrock, Austin, and Linda McMahon all here tonight in Manchester, as he rubbed his fat hands together evilly, smiling incredibly. Paul Bearer knew in hid heart of hearts, however black it may be, that Taker would be crowned the new World Wrestling Federation Champion tonight.

Just then, in another locker room, another cameraman caught Shamrock, all by himself, sweat dripping off his body, as well, mentally preparing himself to become a first time WWF Champion.

Beating his fists together, jumping up and down in place, making jabbing motions, a final camera showed Austin in his locker room, the crowd chanting wildly back in the arena. The Rattlesnake, obviously in deep thought, paced silently back and forth, jacking himself up for the Triple Threat Match, too.

Each man, Taker, Shamrock, and Austin, knew that they had one hell of a mountain to climb tonight, but only one man could make it to the very top, and each one of them had plans to make themselves that man.

Back in the arena, ring announcer, Tony Chimel, inside the ring, said loudly with the microphone up to his lips, "The following contest is scheduled for one fall, and is for the World Wrestling Federation Championship!"

As the demure Linda McMahon walked down to the ring wearing a black and white striped referee shirt, Tony announced, "Making her way down aisle, she is the special guest referee, Linda McMahon!"

Stepping under the bottom rope as Tony held the rope up for Linda, the elder McMahon looked around the booming crowd, who all, in anticipation of seeing a slobber knocker.

Focusing their attention to the Titantron, the crowd watched as Austin, Shamrock, and Taker, who was followed alongside by Paul Bearer, all exit their respective locker rooms, each man showing no fear or intimidation on their faces.

As the camera panned over the live crowd, Ken Shamrock's music was queued throughout the arena.

Wearing his signature blue trunks and blue shin guarded boots, "The World's Most Dangerous Man", was the first competitor to make his way down to the ring, thinking deeply before he entered the ring.

Despite all of his personal setbacks in recent weeks, from coming up short at Backlash, to most importantly, losing Ryan, Kenny had a real opportunity to right those setbacks by becoming the next World Wrestling Federation Champion.

Yelling out and taking his place inside, Kenny bounced back and forth on his feet, while anxiously waiting on the next competitor.

Anticipation was certainly high, but once the bell tolled, and the lights dimmed, everyone, Shamrock, Linda, the announcers, the people in the UK, and every at home knew that the Phenom, along with Paul Bearer, were making their way down to the ring.

Looking as satanic as possible, Taker stalked his way down to the aisle, about to meet one of two of his adversaries for the second time in two months. Raising the lights, Taker stared evilly over at Shamrock before he walked around the ring apron, lowered his head, and entered the ring.

And just as Shamrock was about to pounce all over Taker, Paul, never one to fight fair, grabbed Shamrock around the ankle from under the bottom ring rope, while Taker took the early advantage, stomping the "World's Most Dangerous Man" into the bottom right turnbuckle!

The match had yet to even officially begin, and already Linda was attempting to regain order!

Linda, attempting to grab Taker about the arm, warned him over and over again to back off of Shamrock, but all she got in return was Taker snapping his head back at her viciously, warning her to stay away from him!

Going back to Shamrock, cutting off his oxygen supply with his boot, with Paul Bearer encouraging him to continue doing so from the outside, the fans in the arena, who were chanting wildly for Austin, all jumped to their feet in unison, as the "Texas Rattlesnake", Smoking Skull belt in hand, stalked down to the ring, as well, ready for a fight!

Taker, attempting to cut Austin off at the pass, who was taking off his vest in the middle of the aisle, threw down the Smoking Skull belt, and ran straight into Taker, hitting him across the face with piston like rights hands. Taker, attempting to battle back from the physical onslaught of the brawler, had his shot blocked from Austin, who also attempted to throw Taker into the steel ring steps, but Taker blocked that shot, and instead threw Austin face first into the ring steps!

Picking Austin up from the ground, Taker, rolling Austin inside the ring, with his head sticking out underneath the bottom rope, gave the Rattlesnake another clean shot to the head, sliding into the ring himself, as Linda signaled for the bed, the match officially under way now!

Shamrock, who had recovered from Taker's early on assault, began bringing the fight to the Phenom, as well, and just like he had done last month at Backlash, attacked the vertical base of the Phenom.

But it wasn't long afterwards, after Shamrock had knocked Taker down down to the mat with his educated fists, that Austin was all over Shamrock himself, whipping Kenny into the ropes, about to perform a Lou Thesz Press, but Shamrock held onto the ropes, and after Austin fell face first to the canvas, Kenny immediately went to the leg of the Rattlesnake, attempting to make him submit with the Ankle Lock, but Taker, back up, broke up the submission.

During the match, Shamrock once again impressed all with how well he was able to not only manipulate the body of the Undertaker, but Austin's, as well, catching Austin in a DDT, a Sleeper, and even a Fisherman Hook Suplex.

With Austin almost incapacitated in the middle of the ring, Shamrock grabbed a tired and fatigued Undertaker around the waist, flipping him over his head in a belly to belly suplex, bringing both of his opponents to the mat with what looked to be ease.

Feeling he had Taker just about beaten, Shamrock, once again went for his patented Ankle Lock finisher, locking it on the Deadman, who was screaming out in pain just as he had done the month prior, with Linda in perfect position to count the submission, but Paul Bearer, sensing Taker was in trouble, reached under the bottom ring rope again and grabbed Shamrock's ankle, distracting him!

Shamrock, looking down at Paul incredulously, knowing he once again had Taker beat in the middle of ring, while Paul damned him to hell from the outside, suddenly jumped out of the ring, chasing the plump inspirational leader.

Paul didn't get very far, however, as Shamrock quickly caught Paul by his suit jacket in the front of the aisle way. About to pummel Paul once and for all, Linda, attempting to do her job as officiator, stopped Kenny just in the knick of time, but ordered Paul back into the locker room area, banning him from ringside!

Realizing he was between both a rock and a hard place, being barred from ring side, and having Shamrock holding on to him, Paul attempted to beg off, but instead, he got a forearm to the mouth anyway, which dropped the him instantly!

That's when Farooq and Bradshaw, the new tag team champions, ran down to ringside, looking to attack "The World's Most Dangerous Man", but Linda ordered them both to the back, as well!

Infuriated, both Farooq and Bradshaw helped Paul back into the locker room area, but while Shamrock was distracted, Austin ran right up behind him, knocking him down on the outside with a mean clothesline from the back.

Throughout the entire match, going into the middle and end of it, the momentum changed constantly between Austin, Shamrock, and Taker, with neither man wanting to give up, each one of them wanting to be the WWF Champion.

During his momentum run, grabbing Shamrock around the neck with his paw-like hand, Taker thrust the lighter superstar into the air, bringing his body crashing down to the mat with a thunderous Chokeslam!

About to motion for the Tombstone, out the corner of his eye, Taker saw Austin, who had been outside of the ring laid out, attempting to crawl back on the inside. The title could change hands whether or not the champion was pinned or not, and with guts and determination, Austin somehow made his way back into the ring, not about to allow the title to change hands so quickly.

Taker, wanting to win the match once and for all, hit Austin with a huge right hand to the side of head, before he grabbed him again, throwing Austin head first into the steel ring steps, despite the fact that suffered a mild-concussion from him only weeks before! Rolling back into the ring now, standing over the fallen Shamrock, Taker finally motioned for the Tombstone!

Picking Kenny up by the hair, Shamrock, very ring conscious, tripped Taker by kicking his legs out from underneath him with a Drop Toe Hold.

Quicker than a hiccup seemingly, Shamrock, with Taker belly first on the mat, grabbed his ankle, and with nowhere for Taker to go, applied the Ankle Lock submission, as Shamrock received a mixture of cheers and jeers from the crowd, applying as much pressure to Taker's ankle as he possibly could.

The Undertaker, who had never submitted in his WWF career, grabbed his hair in agonizing pain, but there wasn't anywhere for him to go! It was either tap or have his ankle broken, and with such excruciating pain flowing through his leg, tapping suddenly seemed very plausible to him.

Just as Taker was about to bang his hand against the mat in submission, the fans to the arena began to rise to their feet, and with the camera panning down to the aisle to get a glimpse of just who was making their way down the aisle again, Jim Ross on commentary, clearly appalled stated, "Well, look who's back! It's that damn Ryan Shamrock! What the hell does that jezebel want now?"

Ryan, who was wearing an all black ensemble of a black leather jacket, black tank top underneath, black leather jeans, and black leather platform boots, with her hair flying everywhere, stood alongside the outside of the ring, while Linda attempted to order her in the back like she had done with Paul Bearer and the Acolytes before her.

Saphirra, however, paid Linda no attention whatsoever, instead, she focused all of her attention on her brother back inside the ring.

Kenny, once again breaking the hold, surprised to even see Saphirra at ringside there, asked wildly why his sister was attempting to interfere in one of his matches yet again, but Saphirra, with her hands clasped firmly on her hips, merely stared back up at her brother with an ice cold glare, as Saphirra's jet black hair floated all around her.

Distracted still, while Linda also had her attention focused on Saphirra, Taker, on his knees, low blowed Kenny in the genitals with a big forearm, grabbing his around the waistband of his trunks, rolling him up, about to get the win, but a rejuvenated Austin broke up the count just in the knick of time!

Battling Taker outside the ring, giving him a taste of his own medicine, slamming his head into the steel ring steps, Austin, once he stomped a mud hole in Taker and walked it dry on the outside, returned his attention back to the inside of the ring, battling Shamrock again.

Attempting to give Austin a spinning heel kick, Austin caught Kenny's foot in midair. Kenny then attempted to give Austin an Enzuigiri, but the Rattlesnake ducked that, as well, and once Kenny turned back around from the mat, Austin kicked Kenny squarely in the gut with the toe of his boot, delivering a vicious Stone Cold Stunner to the grappler, causing the crowd in Manchester to go absolutely berserk!

Austin then pinned Shamrock for the win, but Saphirra jumped up on the apron, distracting Linda! As Linda argued with Saphirra to exit the apron, Saphirra held Linda by her referee shirt, not allowing Linda to count the pin!

As Austin got up from the mat, furious that Saphirra was insinuating herself into yet another one of his matches, Linda, before Austin could do bodily harm to the demented woman, slapped Saphirra so hard she instantly fell from the ring rope, falling to the mat outside, the crowd cheering with happiness, as Saphirra continued to hold her throbbing face down to the mat below.

That's when Taker, who was suddenly back up from the outside, limped back inside the ring, grabbed Austin around the throat by surprise, delivering to him a vivacious Chokeslam! Linda, counting the fall, jerked up from the mat, signaling only a 2-count, as Austin was able to raise his right shoulder from the mat just in knick of time!

Taker, beside himself that he didn't get the victory over Austin, actually began stalking Linda around the ring, focusing all of his attention once again on his mother in law, who was backing up, cowering away from him in total fear. Backing Linda up into the far left turnbuckle, nearing the woman who he felt may have slow counted him, Linda looked up into Taker's eyes, knowing what kind of damage this man could do when he really wanted to do it, and she was petrified!

While JR screamed on announcements that even Taker couldn't put his hands on the lovely Linda McMahon, Taker, thinking better of it, realizing he had made a promise to Stephanie not to lay a finger on her mother, suddenly began backing away from her, however, never taking his eyes off of her.

Unclenching up from the ominous presence of the Phenom, Linda, who was nearly frozen solid with fear, didn't even realize that below her was Saphirra, who grabbed both legs of the elder woman, tripping her, causing Linda to land face first into the mat!

Holding her face still, Saphirra walked around the ring, while JR shouted, "What in the hell!? Ryan Shamrock, she just assaulted Linda McMahon! Linda McMahon is down. Now we've got no referee!"

Snapping his head around, Taker walked over to Kenny, who was attempting to regain his footing after being a recipient of a Stunner.

Wanting to pin Austin for the belt and not Shamrock, Taker grabbed Shamrock by the head again, attempting to throw him over the top rope, but instead, Kenny, with his own cat-like reflexes, held on to the top rope. On the other side of the rope, Kenny reached out and turned Taker around as he attempted to walk off and pick the bones from Austin, bringing his head down to the top rope in a guillotine, quickly knocking the big man off his feet.

Jumping from the ring apron, Kenny attempted to pull Taker back outside of the ring, but Taker, using his leg strength, holding on to the bottom ring rope, kicked him back first all the way back to the announcers booth.

Walking outside the ring, while Shamrock attempted to shake off the cobwebs, Taker grabbed Kenny by the head again, trying to bounce his head off the announcers booth, wanting to concuss Kenny just like he had done Austin, but Kenny blocked it, elbowing Taker in the gut, introducing him to the pine instead!

While Austin was getting back up inside the ring, falling down in the bottom ring rope, attempting to regain his breath, outside, Shamrock, having flashbacks of all the misdeeds Taker had carried out against him and his family over the past several weeks, suddenly began going off into that zone again!

Throwing Taker on top of the announce table, while JR and King scrambled to get away, Shamrock, screaming out, grabbed Taker by the hair, and began wailing away on him with lefts and rights to the skull, while Taker, knowing how skilled Shamrock could be with his fists, attempted to cover up from the continuous shots to the cranium!

That's when Saphirra, needing to desperately do something in order to help her master, forced Tony Chimel out of his chair. Snapping it together, Saphirra ran full force and rammed the chair right into the back of her own brother!

While the crowd "oohed" from the sound of the shot cracking over Kenny's spine, the shot from his baby sister absolutely had no affect on Kenny whatsoever!

In fact, seeing his Ryan, after all what he had sacrificed for her, using a chair against her own flesh and blood, only infuriated the "World's Most Dangerous Man" even more!

Unmounting Taker, Kenny began walking slowly to his sister, who was backing up herself now, a fire dancing in his eyes like never before! Saphirra, not knowing what do, scared that she might even become the victim of an Ankle Lock now, attempted to ram the chair right into Kenny's skull, but Kenny blocked it, snatched the chair away from her, and threw it onto the ground.

As Saphirra attempted to run away in fear, her older brother grabbed her about the hair, and as the crowd sensed he was about to administer a little tough love to his little sister, Taker, who had managed to grab the chair from the floor, picked it up and rammed it straight into Kenny's back, the shot heard all throughout the arena!

Dropping to one knee, holding his back in pain, Kenny turned around unknowingly to receive another chairshot, this time straight to the head, knocking him out instantly!

As Saphirra scooted away, looking back at her fallen brother, Referee Tim White ran inside of the ring to check on the fallen Linda, who still hadn't gotten up from falling face first to the hard canvas.

Taker, sensing his moment of be coming champion was near, rolled back inside of the ring, chair still in hand, about to deck Austin with it, but the Rattlesnake, having already been concussed twice by Taker before, ducked the big chair shot, hauling off big shots to the face to Taker, as the chair slipped from Taker's weakened grip.

Whipping Taker into the ropes, Austin jumped up in midair, dropping Taker with a Lou Thesz Press, mounting and punching him across the face with more rights to the head!

As Taker stumbled back to his feet, while the camera showed the still lifeless Shamrock lying motionless on the outside of the ring, Austin was stomping another mud hole in Taker and was walking it dry ten times over! Pulling Taker up and whipping him into the rope, Austin ducked down below, but only received a big boot to the chest in return.

Holding his pec, Taker swung his right arm at Austin wildly, attempting to Clothesline him, but instead, Austin ducked underneath, and came back up with another Stunner, dropping Taker instantly!

As the crowd all jumped to their feet again, Austin called over to Tim White to count the fall, and with his hand about to come down for the three, once again, for the third time, Saphirra insinuated herself into the match, by pulling Referee Tim White out of the ring, while JR screamed, "Damn her! Damn her! Austin had the match won!" through his headset.

Arguing with the girl once he successfully made it back to her feet, trying to order the obviously craze woman backstage, Saphirra, wanting desperately for Taker to win the title, stepped back and kicked Tim right in his groin with her foot, causing the older man to drop instantly, as he held his crouch in severe agony!

Austin, seeing all of this play out before him, while Saphirra stood over Tim pointing and laughing maniacally, jumped through the ring ropes like a rabid dog, chasing Saphirra all around the ring, then into it!

Catching her by the hair, about to teach her a lesson once an for all, just like before, Austin kicked Saphirra in the gut with his boot, about to execute the Stone Cold Stunner onto the girl for the second time in mere weeks, but Taker caught Austin from behind, flipped him upside down, walked in the middle of the ring with him, and dropped Austin right onto his concussed head with the Tombstone Piledriver!

Folding Austin's arms over his chest, pinning him, Linda, who was slow to make the crawl back into position, brought her hand down, 1,2,3, and just like that, the World Wrestling Federation had a new WWF Champion, and his name was the Undertaker!

As Taker's music played out through the Manchester Evening News Arena, Saphirra, holding her stomach, stepping over her fallen brother even, walked over to the timekeeper's table, snatched the Smoking Skull belt away from him, and semi-sprinted back to her master, who had also rolled out the ring, handing the belt to him, who raised the belt high into the air in victory.

JR beyond sick about the outcome of the match, cursed both Saphirra and Taker over his headset, while Saphirra, smiling heavily, despite the pain in her stomach, walked with Taker back up the aisle way, with her arms clasped firmly around Taker's waist, knowing her part in this match contributed heavily to her master being crowned the new World Wrestling Federation Champion.

As King sounded quite delighted about Taker being the new WWF Champion, JR, beside himself, announced, "Shamrock is down, Linda McMahon is down, Austin is down, and the Undertaker is up! The damned evil majority shareholder of the WWF is new World Wrestling Federation Champion, and there's not a damned thing that anybody can do about it!"

"Face it, Ross!" King countered loudly. "The Undertaker did exactly what he said he was going to do, and he's walking out the new World Wrestling Federation Champion!"

"And it took a helluva lot of help, too, don't forget not to leave that out! All I want to know is what's next? Who's next? Is this the beginning of the Undertaker Era? Monday Night Raw is live tomorrow night from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For the World Wrestling Federation, I'm Jim Ross, goodnight from Manchester!"


	56. Daddy's Dearest

Dropping his duffle bag onto the floor, Mark, clad in only a pair of gray boxer shorts, flopped his tired and achy body onto the awaiting softness of the bed. His body, although he had taken a hot shower and was now back in his hotel room, was aching the worst it had hurt in months.

_But_, he had just gone through a battle, a war, with two men no less, and looking back on it, Mark knew that if he had to, he'd do it all over again.

Looking down at that Smoking Skull belt, _his_ Smoking Skull belt, smirking wryly out the side of his mouth, Mark felt that battling through both Shamrock and Austin was all well-worth the aching back, and now, finally, after months and months of hard work, planning, and execution, he was _the_ man once again.

Mark was now a three-time World Wrestling Federation Champion, he was the majority shareholder of the company, and literally no one, not Steve Austin, not Linda, not Vince, not Shane, no one, would or could stand in the way of true domination.

Looking down at the belt that was straddling his body, Mark realized that literally, almost like a newborn baby being plucked from its mother after birth by nurses, he'd have to give up the belt, only momentarily, however, in order for his name to be rightfully etched into gold. And that would incense Austin to no end, having "The Undertaker" highlighted in what was initially Austin's belt, but Mark didn't care.

He wanted to piss Austin off in the worst way possible, he wanted Austin to know that on this night, and any other night for that matter, Mark, the Undertaker, was and always would be the better man.

His thoughts of going to Monday Night Raw the following night, and presenting his even stronger Ministry, with the Acolytes as the tag team champions, and him as the new WWF Champion, leading the charge, were temporarily interrupted when a chirping noise began ringing from the inside of his duffle bag.

Bending down to reach the bag, groaning out in pain at having to bend down, Mark searched through the bag vigorously until he came across his pager, the message on it clear: "EMERGENCY!"

Realizing the page was coming from Vince's home number in Greenwich, Mark blankly stared at the pager for a moment. He knew for a fact that it wasn't Vince or Shane who were trying to get in contact with him.

The only person in that house that would probably even speak to him at that moment was Stephanie, but what could she possibly want?

They were separated, just the way she had wanted them to be, so it puzzled him why she'd be sending him a page at this time of hour. Even if Manchester's time was hours ahead of Greenwich's, it was after midnight local time, meaning it had to be pretty late in Connecticut, as well.

Giving up, Mark opened his cell phone and dialed the number back, curious to find out just what Stephanie needed to page him "EMERGENCY!" like she had.

After the phone rang twice, Mark heard a beautiful voice coming from the other end of the receiver, that was just as angelic as the body it was coming from, asking shyly and lowly, "Hello?"

Taking a second to answer himself, trying to gather his thoughts correctly, Stephanie's voice almost entrancing him, Mark, clearing his throat, spoke up finally, attempting to sound as serious as possible.

"I just got a page from your house number, and I think I know who sent it. So, what is it?"

Stephanie, who was still in the same pair of sleeping pajamas that she originally worn to bed the night before, too nervous to even shower, too upset, especially after watching the PPV, slowly, hurt making her voice sound especially shaky, asked, "Mark, how could you do that to my mom?"

Confused, but looking down at his belt with admiration, Mark asked with the phone clutched between his shoulder and face, "What are you talking about?"

"Mark, you know what you did. You backed her up into that corner, that turnbuckle, and you allowed Ryan to attack my mom!" Stephanie shouted, furious with her husband. She had known Mark could be pretty cruel, but having the mentally unbalanced Ryan assault her mother …?

"I saw the pay-per-view, Mark. Why did you do that? Do you not give a damn about me?"

Sitting up in the bed now, not liking what he was being accused of, Mark countered by asking with curiosity, "Wait, what? You think I had something to do with that?"

"Yes, I think you had something to do with that!" Steph almost screamed.

Having to watch her own mother get assaulted by anyone, let alone that psychopath, Ryan, would be too much for any woman to endure, but Steph had to watch the audacity of that entire situation, and there wasn't a damn thing that she could do about it.

"Who do you take me for? It's obvious that you had intentions on physically harming my mom …"

"I never even thought about touching Linda!" Mark barked. "I backed away from her Stephanie! I thought twice about it, and you know, I don't think twice about shit! I left poor Linda alone because I didn't want to hurt you! Now I'm being accused of just the opposite?"

"Then why was Ryan out there then? Mark, you think you're so clever! You're the master of manipulation and scheming, remember? You brought Ryan out there, not only a distraction to Austin and Kenny, especially Kenny, but you also brought her out there so you could get away with getting my mom out of the action without physically putting your hands on her! This is classic you!"

"Oh, so that's what you think, huh?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I think!" Steph shouted from the other line, eyes beaming with the determination of finally getting the truth, once and for all out of Mark.

"Well, I hate to burst your bubble, Princess, but you're wrong. You're dead wrong. You wanna know why you're dead wrong?"

"Please, enlighten me."

"Don't be a smartass," Mark warned, as he began pacing around the room, anger and frustration mounting in him, as he heard Stephanie gulp from the other side of the phone.

Going over to the double sliding balcony doors which overlook Manchester, Mark calmed himself and explained clearly, "You're dead wrong because _I_ didn't even know Saphirra was even in that building, let alone the UK. Last I saw of her was the last you saw of her, and that's when you kicked her ass in that hotel room. I ain't seen her since, Steph. I didn't even know she was coming and I damn sure didn't need her help in winning anything, laying Linda out, or anything else in between, because Steph, you know, if I really didn't give a damn, I would have done the job _myself_. Now you just think about that."

Rubbing her hands through her brown hair, Stephanie, probably the most upset that she had been while with Mark, breathed out through the phone's receiver, exhausted with worry over the physical safety of her mother, asking rather calmly, "Mark, do you really want me to believe that, I mean, honestly? That woman is obsessed with you. She turned against her own brother to join you and the Ministry, and now you just want me to believe that you knew absolutely nothing about her coming to the UK, assaulting my mother in the process, in a match that you just so happened to win?"

Looking back over Manchester, his head touching the glass of the door, Mark, still not raising his voice, answered darkly, "Steph, what I _want_ is you back in your own bed, the one I sleep in, with me in Houston, but I'm not about to make you do anything that you don't want to do. Whether you choose to believe me or not is entirely up to you, but know this: I've always been straight with you.

Maybe I left out one or two details for your own protection, because I didn't want to hurt you, but that's it. You didn't believe me when I told you I never had sex with Saphirra, now you're accusing me of intentionally having Linda assaulted, just so I could win the match. If I do tell the truth, it ain't like you're going to believe me."

"So you're really trying to turn this all around on me?," Steph asked in disgust, rising out of her bed, as well, pacing the room.

Before Mark, Stephanie didn't know she could even fall in love; she had always thought she was too young for that sort of thing. But then she got married and she had fallen in love. Now the same man that she had fallen in love with was breaking her heart all over again.

"Mark, is it a wonder why I don't believe you? Do you really blame me for questioning you, after everything you've said and done?"

Hearing nothing but silence on the other end of the phone, knowing Mark's answer was no without him even saying it, Steph continued asking, "Mark, how can I possibly believe you about anything when my own brother and own my father, my only brother and my only father, they're both incapacitated right now, they can't even do anything for themselves, and it's all because of you? How can I believe you about anything when I saw with my own two eyes how you brainwashed Ryan? And how can I believe you about anything when you won't, you refuse even acknowledge the fact that you love me?"

And it was at that final question that another silence fell between them both, a very awkward and long silence.

Closing his eyes, with his forehead leaned against the coldness of the glass, Mark could envision Stephanie's chest falling up and down with both anger and hurt. Did he love Stephanie? Of course he did. He loved everything about her, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, but he wasn't the type of man to just come right out and say those sorts of things. He needed time, and with Stephanie seemingly forcing him to outright admit his love for her was too demanding of him.

Sighing, exhaling hot air, Mark placed his left hand on the glass, as well, thinking to himself, the silence widening. After what seemed to be an eternity, Stephanie broke the silence between them again by asking, "Mark?"

"Mmm hmm?"

"You promise you had no intentions on hurting my mom tonight, right?"

"Stephanie, I told you out of my own mouth," Mark stated calmly, while watching the lights from the cars and the buildings in Manchester flicker below and around him. "I would never put my hands on your mother. I told you that, right?"

"Yes," Stephanie whispered out, a lone tear almost forcing its way outside of closed lid.

"Then believe me then. I had nothing to do with what Saphirra did tonight."

"Mark, you just make things just so hard for me. You just explained that you had no intentions on putting your hands on my mother tonight, and that Ryan was acting alone, so why can't you tell me, with the same honesty, that you love me? Why is that so hard for you to say?"

Leaning his head back, his long flowing hair falling down his back, Mark knew Stephanie was right, and that she deserved both his respect and honesty, not just when it was only convenient for him, but he was a man. Men did these sorts of things.

He hadn't told another woman that he loved her since his mother passed, and that was a long time ago. He didn't even know, with all the things he had done in his lifetime, that he was even capable of saying those three words to Steph, not matter how much he truly loved her. Breathing out into the phone, looking into the ceiling, Mark, taking all of the conviction in his body, responded to his wife by saying, "Steph, it's about to be 1 o'clock any minute here now, and I have to catch a long flight back to Jacksonville in about four hours from now. How about we talk about this when I make it back to the States, ok?"

Shaking her head absently, realizing that Mark just, and probably would never say that he loved her, with a tear slowly rolling down her face, answered, "Sure", before slowly placing the cordless phone back on its base.

Lowering herself back into the bed, Steph, just like she had done, lying in the fetal position on that dirty mattress after her abduction, just stayed there, rocking herself back and forth.

* * *

><p>The next day, Stephanie, although she told herself she was going to get behind the wheel of her little convertible once again, and hopefully drive into town to allow herself some fresh air, decided against it, opting to stay at home, her thoughts too consumed of her marriage and her mother's well-being.<p>

Since Mark had told her his plans for leaving the UK, Steph figured that the other superstars and personnel would be leaving about that time, as well, so she decided to call her mom to check on her, especially worried about her physical condition after Ryan attacked her from behind.

Although admittedly a bit sore, Linda declared that everything would be fine with her, but the one thing that worried Stephanie the most was the fact that, despite all what she had gone through the previous night with both Mark and Ryan, that she wasn't returning home to Greenwich as Stephanie expected she would.

In fact, Linda informed Stephanie that she was traveling to Jacksonville along with the rest of the talent, in order to preserve some sort of order between the Ministry and the rest of the roster, which shook Stephanie to the very core.

Although Mark had promised her that he would never physically put his hands on Linda, that didn't mean he wasn't inclined to allow Ryan, a woman thirty years Linda's senior, to do his dirty work, as he had apparently done at No Mercy the night before.

Ryan was obsessed with Mark, and if Mark wanted her to do something, she was going to do it immediately, even if that meant going through her mother, and Stephanie couldn't fathom a young, healthy, 20-year old Ryan attacking her mother again. The image alone was almost enough to send her into shock itself!

Troubled with worry, Steph decided not to leave home, and instead spent most of the day with her father.

Vince, although he was still pretty banged up, refused to constricted to the bed, choosing to walk around his bedroom with the help of his doctor and a female nurse that assisted him throughout the days, which Steph found admirable. No matter what Vince had gone through over the years, with Austin, with the Rock, with Mark, he never backed down from a fight and he was never one to allow any sort of injury hold him down. To Stephanie, her father was a champion, and that's what she loved about him the most.

Stephanie was still a bit worried that Vince could potentially fall and hurt himself, which would more than likely furthered recovery speed, however, once Vince got his feel for walking again, he decided that instead of lying in the bed all day that he'd sit up in his brown EasyChair, no longer wanting to be restrained to the monotony of the mattresses beneath him.

Seemingly looking brighter than he had in days prior, Vince, with his voice almost back to normal, began speaking to Stephanie softly, but his doctor warned him otherwise, feeling he'd strain his voice too much before his vocal rehabilitation began.

Undeterred, however, Vince, the fighter that he was, began speaking, and although Steph could tell it pained her father very much, he asked the doctor and the nurse to leave the room momentarily, as he wanted to speak with his daughter in private.

Against their better judgment, the medical officials left the bedroom, leaving Stephanie and Vince alone for the first time since Backlash, and even though Vince had been assaulted by the man whom Stephanie loved, it felt great truly feeling like daddy's little girl again.

Clearing his throat, Steph, handing him some fresh water to help with the soreness, Vince, gulping the water down slowly, said as high as he could, "Dean and Matthew told me how Mark was treating you."

Closing her eyes and looking down immediately, Stephanie had totally forgotten that, other than lying with Vince in bed, and helping him with some of his medical needs, that they so far hadn't spoken about her marriage to Mark at all, so Vince's statement caught Stephanie completely off guard.

Of course, with the performance that Mark had put on, it had not only frightened both the attorneys, but her, as well. Steph knew Mark's motivation behind making that scene, but now, it was coming back to haunt her in the worst way possible, and she couldn't fathom telling her father a lie, but she couldn't tell him the truth, either.

What would he think of her? Would he think that she had betrayed him as his daughter? And if she lied, then she'd still be going along with Mark's plan, she'd still be helping him, and they were separated now.

In the end, however, conflicted and confused, Stephanie, playing with her fingers, let her head hang, as she slowly nodded, truly not knowing what else to do.

Looking up at his daughter, knowing when Stephanie was nervous, Vince stated calmly, managing to find a small bit of humor in the situation, "You're just like your mother. Whenever she's nervous, she goes to fidgeting with damn those fingers of hers."

Cracking a smile, Stephanie, who was sitting in the window of her parents' bedroom, continued to play with her hands, as Vince continued asking, "Did he hurt you? Physically, I mean."

Looking up at her father now, who was looking back at Stephanie equally, as if he were trying to read her thoughts, Stephanie turned her head to look out the window, surveying the brick patio, pool, and the acreage that was their backyard.

Recalling all the laughs, moments of passion, and compassionate moments she had with Mark, Steph, not able to even look her father in the eye, answered, "Just my feelings, Dad, that's it."

Nodding, knowing Stephanie was hurt, Vince replied, "I'm glad that's all. Steph?" Vince calling out to her.

As Stephanie slowly turned her head back to her father, Vince said sincerely, "I'm sorry."

Not knowing what Vince was exactly apologizing for, Steph was about to inquire about his apology, but he cut her off by saying again, "I'm sorry for … I'm sorry for failing you as a father. For letting Mark get to you, abducting you. As your protector, I should have never let that happened, and I just want to know, that, if, one day, you could possibly forgive me, Stephanie?"

Steph, with tears welling up inside her eyes, couldn't believe that her father was blaming himself for what happened to her. No one could have prevented what Mark did to the McMahon's as a whole, and what made her feel even worse inside was the fact that while she and Mark had seemingly moved into their picture perfect life in Houston, making his home feel more like _their_ home, adopting pets, and meeting his friends, with plans to meet his family, her parents were here in Greenwich, worried sick about her.

Guilt forcing the tears she was struggling to keep inside down her face, Steph, shaking her head from side to side wildly, told her father, "Dad, please, don't blame yourself. It wasn't your faul …"

"Steph, please, I have to blame myself," Vince said consciously, looking over at his baby girl. "Look what happened to you. I put your entire well-being in jeopardy, all over that God-forsaken … I should have never gone back into that arena, leaving you out there with those cops. They don't know you, they didn't know Mark. I should have been there. And I'm sorry, Stephanie, because I wasn't. I wasn't there when you needed me the most. All I ask now is your forgiveness, if you can find it in your heart to even give it to me, because quite frankly Stephanie, I honestly don't think I even deserve it."

Knowing her father was truly sincere in what he was saying to her, Stephanie, breathing in and out heavily, spoke up once again. "Dad … don't … stop …"

Choking on her words, Stephanie managed, "Dad, I love you. It's not your fault. Please don't blame yourself. All that matters now is that I'm safe, ok? I'm here, I'm back home. That's all that matters, right?"

Nodding, attempting to put a small smile on his face, Vince mumbled out, "Right. Right. That's all that matters. You're my baby girl and you're safe and you're sound."

"So, let's not look at the past. Let's look towards the future, Dad, with us as a family," Stephanie stated as optimistically as she could.

She wanted to be with Mark, but looking at how he had divided her family the way that he had, Stephanie didn't think there was any way realistically that she could.

Looking at her father, who had lost his daughter, his physical well-being, and his company, Steph felt her insides literally breaking. She wanted to be in Vince's life as his daughter, and she wanted to be in Mark's life as his wife, but how could that scenario even possibly exist? She didn't want to choose, and although she had chosen to come back to Greenwich, the other half of her mind and body was screaming for her husband in Houston.

Attempting to change the subject, Stephanie asked her father, "Have you talked to Mom?"

Breaking Vince's deep and heavy thoughts, her father snapped his head up from his magnetizing dead stare, saying, "Um .. ahem … yeah. She's going to the show tonight, with your Uncle Jerry and your Uncle Pat."

"Dad, I don't think she should be there tonight. I mean, mom is capable, but she's …"

"Don't worry about your mother, alright Stephanie? She helped me to build this company to where it is today, remember? She'll be fine. She still has a minority interest in the company, and even if I don't have legal …"

Just then, Vince's voice lumped up again. It wasn't because of the soreness, it was from the bitter taste that after all his family's sacrificing for four decades now, through his grandfather, even with some of the groundwork Shane had laid as an employee during this current generation, he had lost his family's legacy, and now that Stephanie was here in Greenwich, unless he could meet Mark's demands reasonably, Vince honestly didn't see Mark selling his stock of the company back, and that stung like hell for him.

Walking over to her father, standing over him, and grasping his hand, Steph looked into the worry plagued eyes of her father and asked, "Dad, what can I do to help you get the company back? I mean, I know what you're thinking about. Please, Dad, let me help."

Smiling up at his daughter, Vince, loving Stephanie's ambition, asked modestly, "Steph, what do you honestly think you can do? Princess, you've been through enough. Mark has put you, me, your brother, your mother, through an entire hell and back, and you don't need to suffer anymore, alright? If anything, I'll get the company back myself, with the help of Dean and Matthew, with Jerry and Pat, but Princess, I don't want you to worry your little pretty head about all that, ok? Everything is well under control."

Not fully comprehending why her father didn't want her help, Steph, making her plea, said tearfully, "Dad, you don't think that it doesn't hurt me to that you as a McMahon, no longer the proud owner of this company? Dad, what's the plan then? I want to help. I know Mark. I lived with him. I know what makes him tick. Please, Dad, if you just allow me to help, then maybe we can come up with some sort of plan of our own to help get the company back in the hands of its rightful owner. Dad, please. Please let me help."

Rubbing his recently shaven chin, Vince, knowing Stephanie had a point, but not fully convinced that there was anything Stephanie could do at this point, looked up into the shiny brown eyes of his daughter, and asked, "Then what, Stephanie? Tell me, how can you help get the company back? I know you've always had a mind for business, and quite frankly, I've been a bit apprehensive of that, but that Mark is a different brand of evil, and I don't think you're quite ready for that."

"Dad, I am ready. I am. Please believe me, I am. I want you to be the owner again. How will we survive as a family with no World Wrestling Federation? How will the World Wrestling Federation even survive moving forward with no Vince McMahon to lead it? Dad, Mark has been in the business for a long time, but he's not you. He's going to run the company straight into the ground, probably to his liking, if we don't get it back. Please, let me help."

Rubbing his hands together in his lap, looking over his daughter's face one more time, noting the severe seriousness in it, Vince, exhaling deeply, responded, "Steph, if you insist on helping, and you do have your father's blood in you … I think I have a plan."

Excited that her father, for once, was finally going to allow her to show him what she was made of, Stephanie sat down on the floor next to his chair, waiting to hear Vince's plan. Hopefully, with a little maneuvering, Steph could get to have both Mark and Vince in her life simultaneously, without having to sacrifice one or the other. "Ok, Dad. I'm ready."

"Ok, but hear me out first, alright? I don't want you to freak out. I want you to think about this thoroughly. If you decide to do this, then Steph, this will have to be strictly between you and I, ok? Your mom can't know anything, not Shane, not Pat, not Jerry, not anyone, ok?"

Nodding, Stephanie, knowing Vince was serious about this proclamation, watched on heartily, as Vince continued.

"And if you say no, then guess what? You're still my baby girl, alright?"

Nodding once more, Stephanie watched as Vince closed his eyes, then looked down at Stephanie and said, "I think you should go back to live with Mark in Texas."

Her stomach tying in knots, Stephanie didn't know whether to bolt from the room in fear at such a suggestion or jump up and down in elation! Why was her own father suggesting she go back to live with the man who had purposely torn their lives apart? Vince, rubbing his thumb over Stephanie's hand, continued on carefully, "I think you should go back to live with Mark."

Stephanie, shaking her head in confusion, not knowing what Vince was aiming for, asked in bewilderment, "But Dad, why? Why would I want to go back to Texas with Mark?"

Knowing that he had rattled Stephanie with his proposal, Vince held up both hands, saying, "Steph, please, just hear me out, ok? This could work out for me and you? You do want to help me, right, because if you don't, then like I said, you'll still be my baby girl."

"Dad, I want to help but I just need a little bit more informa …"

"That's what I'm getting at, dear. Has Mark ever physically put his hands on you, and Steph, I mean ever."

Thinking back to the times that Mark had grabbed her by the hair or spanked her, Stephanie, not wanting to cause trouble by outing her husband, replied back, "No, Dad, why?"

"Well, I think if you go back to live with Mark, play it up like you really want to be with him, that'll serve duel purposes. For one, if you go back to live with him in Texas, that'll help me because you'll serve as the distraction. Steph, I won't be fully healed from these injuries for another two months, but if you can stay with him those two months, then I can get back to health. During this time, Dean, Matthew, and myself will work on getting the company back as quietly as possible. But Steph, you'll have to pretend as if you want to be there, that you wanted to go back, like you've missed him all this time. You are still a virgin, aren't you?

"Dad, of course I am! But I mean …"

"Well, then, play it up for him Stephanie, by _any means necessary_, you know what I mean? He won't believe you otherwise. Mark is a very smart man, a very suspicious man, and we have to make this all as realistic as possible."

Steph, not believing that Vince wanted her to offer Mark her virginity, something that she didn't even have anymore, as compensation for her leaving him in the first place, sat flabbergasted on the floor, while Vince continued.

"Secondly, Steph, since I spoke with Dean and Matthew about your relationship with Mark on a legal basis, we determined, through law that is, that you can't begin to pursue a divorce I get the company back, without Mark doing something drastic. We're basically getting you out of harm's way first. I get the company back, you come back home permanently, and then we serve him with divorce papers. He signs them, he has to pay out a large scale of money for making my … _your_ life a living hell, and in ninety days after that, the way of the land will be right again.

But like I said before Steph, you're my baby girl, and if you tell me no, then we'll just have to leave you out of things until I can come up with a better plan, but for right now, that's all I have."

Absolutely shocked at what Vince was asking her to do, but wanting desperately to help her father, and at the same time, reconnect with Mark, Steph sat on the floor beside her father in complete silence.

First Mark had asked her to deceive her father, now her father was asking her to deceive Mark!

_"Do these two share a brain or something?"_

Attempting to make sense of what her father was saying, Stephanie offered, "But Dad, why do I have to even get a divorce? I mean, I managed to look on the Internet and do some research about annulments here in Connecticut while at one of the recent Raw shows," Stephanie lied. "And I read that once I lived with Mark, and once I proved that I was forced into the marriage and left as soon as I could, that I could be granted an annulment. Dad, I don't think I could handle a large scale divorce like that."

Swallowing hard, Vince, knowing Stephanie of course would have some concerns, answered swiftly, "Because, Steph. Mark has to pay, literally, for the consequences of his actions. No one is going to blame you for what happened, Stephanie. It's well documented that Mark is an evil, psycho maniac, and that's better for us; that's better for you. Steph: revenge is always a dish best served cold."

And with that, Steph saw her father's entire demeanor change.

He had gone from pensive and reflective to downright vengeful and vindictive. He wanted to make Mark literally pay for what he had put the family through, but Stephanie for sure wasn't ready for an event of such as a large magnitude: divorce.

With questions forming all through her brain, Stephanie then asked, "But Dad, what will you do in those two months that I'm gone that will make such a big difference?"

Rubbing the top of Stephanie's hair with his right hand, then slowly tracing it over her face, Vince replied, "Steph, I don't want to scare you with the details, alright? Just know that one way or another, the company will belong to me again, but it's definitely going to take some legal maneuvering. I just didn't want Mark to catch on. That's all. You can tell me no at any time, alright? I will still love you regardless."

Recalling how Mark had nearly said the same things weeks prior that her father was saying now, Steph, wrapping her arms around her legs, thought long and hard about the decision she had to make.

If she didn't choose to do this, then her father, despite what he had said, would be disappointed in her; he wouldn't get the company back, and she wouldn't see Mark again outside of a courtroom. But if she did choose to do what her father was asking of her, while she'd see Mark again, in two months, her father was already planning her divorce, and she didn't want to divorce Mark. She loved both men yet she couldn't seem to find a common ground between the two.

Steph, looking up at Vince, who was offering her a weak smile back down at her, sighing deeply, looked up at Vince with heavy eyes and asked, "When would I have to leave then?"

Smiling, feeling that his baby girl was finally coming around, Vince started, "Well, it would have to be before your mother arrived back here in Greenwich, so before Wednesday afternoon …"


	57. Stone Cold's Proclamation

As Stephanie sat on her bed, flicking through the channels on her remote, trying to find the USA Network on her television, her mind was consumed with maddening thoughts and scenarios, chiefly being with how she had declined her father's offer.

It wasn't that she didn't want to go back to Houston to see Mark, to live with him, because she did, she absolutely did. And it wasn't like she didn't want to help her father get control of the company back, either, which she wanted to do also. However, in the end, Stephanie had to prove to _herself_ that she was woman enough to stand on her own two feet and make her own decisions, and being Vince's puppet, being anyone's _puppet_ yet again was not how she planned on achieving those goals.

Vince was obviously hurt, disappointed, and a little shocked that Stephanie would dare decline his proposition, especially since she was the one who had petitioned him in the first place, however, Steph knew that if she let her father use her like this this time, wanting to punish Mark, on top of extracting his revenge from him, that she'd be doing things like this _all_ the time, and she just couldn't allow that.

As much as Steph loved and cared for her father, and as much as he was a great businessman, with everyone, not matter if they loved him or hated him, praising his business acumen at some time or another, Steph knew that her father could be very vindictive, cold, and calculating when he wanted to be, and this whole plan that he had came up with proved that Vince, no matter if he currently was incapacitated or not, proved just that.

Plus, if Stephanie went back to Houston, begging for Mark to take her back in, after she had literally walked out on him and their marriage, that would only prove that she really was a weak woman, and would undoubtedly convince him that he too could continue to treat her however the hell wanted to, and that she wasn't about to allow that to happen, either.

Steph had to take control of her own life, of her own destiny, of her own fate, and she knew that now would was a better time than ever, that she couldn't be that strong woman she aspired to be continuously allowing people to use and manipulate her. She couldn't.

Steph did wonder, however, if her father was beginning to lose, or had even already lost his chief influence over her in his life. A month ago, Steph would have done anything Vince asked her to. A month ago, Vince was the most important man in her life. But today, Steph didn't know if that still held true or not.

True enough, she loved Vince dearly and looked up to him more than anyone else that she knew, which is why she ignored her friends' pleas not to join the business, but thinking back on declining Vince's invitation made her wonder, if the shoe was on the other foot, would she would have declined Mark in the same way.

Mark had done the most horrible and disgusting things to her and her family, from vandalizing her bedroom to abducting her, to forcing her into marriage, to even spanking her, however, she still fell in love with him in the end, and when he asked her to deceive everyone around her, from her parents to the other talents, she did.

Sure it took a little convincing after the unwilling start she got, but she went along with Mark's plans nonetheless. Was she so in love with her husband that her own father had become secondary in her life?

_"No, that can't be. I'm here in Greenwich. This is where I belong. If I was so in love with Mark, I would have stayed; I'd be in Houston right now. No, this is definitely home … at least for right now."_

True, Stephanie did have plans to reconcile with Mark, but the more she thought about, the question of "why would I?" kept reoccurring in her head.

Mark wouldn't even tell her that he loved her. Steph knew that he did. She saw it in his eyes every time he laughed and smiled at her, when he made love to her, and when Steph would catch him simply staring at her from out the corner of her eye when he thought she wasn't looking, she saw it; she felt it on a spiritual level, but he wasn't willing to say those three special three words to her, so she wasn't willing to go back to Houston and live with him … at least not yet.

There had to be definite changes in their relationship first, and that most important L word was definitely at the top of the list.

"Maybe I should take a break, take a vacation somewhere? Stop thinking about my marriage, my dad, and just get away from it all? Miami seems nice. Summer is right around the corner. Maybe the Bahamas or Jamaica, somewhere exotic. Aruba even. Yeah, that doesn't sound so bad, at all," Steph thought aloud.

A vacation right now sounded like Heaven to Stephanie. She wanted to get away from both her father and Mark and just focus on herself for a change. She was twenty two years old but she was worrying about things in her life that she absolutely had little to no control over as if she were a woman stuck in a midlife crisis at forty-two, and that she knew was definitely unhealthy for her.

On top of worrying about Mark and Vince, Stephanie was also worried about Linda tonight. Besides her Uncle Pat and Uncle Jerry, Linda would be all alone at Raw, and if that psycho Ryan was anywhere near, or even in the building for that matter, Steph knew with certainty that Linda wasn't going to be safe, especially after Ryan blatantly tripped her mom last night at No Mercy UK, nearly injuring her.

_"Wait until I get my hands on that skank!"_

Flipping through the channels rapidly now, her mind all over the place, her knees tucked under her, as the clock on her wall read 8:59, Stephanie came across the WWF scratch logo flashing across the screen. Reaching her channel destination, Stephanie sunk back into the bed of pillows, grabbing the brown teddy bear that Linda had purchased her from the nearby nightstand, hugging it tightly, beginning to watch as Monday Night Raw was off to the races.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Monday Night Raw, live from the National Car Rental Center, here in Jacksonville, Florida, and yes, as you can see, the Phenom, the Undertaker, the new World Wrestling Federation Champion, alongside his inspirational leader, Paul Bearer, are making their way into the arena here with us live folks," JR greeted the fans at home.

Taker, who was wearing street clothes, alongside Paul, who also was wearing regular clothing, were both headed inside the arena from the parking garage.

Taker, the new WWF champion, sporting the Smoking Skull belt across his shoulder, was normally a man's man. Usually, he'd carry his own bags into the arena or anywhere else they happened to be traveling, but tonight, especially after being crowned the new World Wrestling Federation Champion, things were definitely different, as he was making poor Paul not only carry his own bag, but Taker's bag, as well, which definitely flustered the plumper, older gentleman, having all that heavy luggage hosted on either shoulder, but Taker, looking cool as a cucumber, with a set of dark sunglasses covering his eyes, kept marching forward into the arena, as if he didn't have a care in the world, _as if a rattlesnake wasn't on the loose_.

"JR, last night in Manchester, in the UK, the Undertaker promised us all that he would be the next World Wrestling Federation Champion, and look here, he said it, you see it now, it's true, look, you see it for yourself!" King, seemingly in shock and ecstatic at the same time, had literally been Team Undertaker every since Taker forced him into a match against Viscera, and King, maybe from out of both fear and the fact that he really did think he would more than likely never see Vince inside another WWF venue again, was the new cheerleader for the Ministry's camp.

"With a lot of help from Ryan Shamrock, let's not forget that," JR stated with a matter of fact.

"With what help from Ryan Shamrock? JR, you were there! You saw it for yourself! The Undertaker beat both Ryan's brother, Kenny, and Stone Cold Steve Austin singlehandedly, at the same time! You saw it, JR!"

"Boy, I tell you, that beating you took from Viscera has really altered your perception of reality …"

But before JR could get even finish the rest of his statement, Austin, running with a full head of steam, attacked Taker wildly from behind, smacking him right in the back of the head and back with a huge forearm, sending Paul scattering, screaming!

"There's Austin! There's Austin! The Rattlesnake is striking! The Rattlesnake is striking the Undertaker!" JR shouted to the fans at home!

Austin, who was without a doubt incensed after he was screwed out of the title the night prior, with reckless abandon, beat Taker down into the equipment that still needed to be loaded inside of the arena, stomping a mud hole in the Dead Man, as the Smoking Skull Belt was kicked carelessly across the concrete floor in the ensuing chaos!

As Paul could be heard screaming in the background, damning Austin to hell, and calling for help from security and WWF officials, Austin continued to strike Taker relentlessly, as a half a dozen WWF officials ran into the parking garage, attempting to contain the violence!

But Austin, who was blind with rage, started knocking down officials as fast as they came, no regard for their physical well-being whatsoever, even stomping at one referee who had fallen on the ground!

As soon as he fought some space between him and the officials, Sgt. Slaughter, Tony Garea, Mike Chioda, and more, Austin re-focused his attention back to Taker, but all he got was a stiff shot to the groin, and a quick uppercut to the lower chin instead!

Taker, winded after the beating he had momentarily received, pulling himself up off the ground, then grabbed Austin by the black Austin 3:16 shirt he was wearing, throwing him shoulder first into a upright and standing black trunk, the force of Austin's body alone meeting it enough for it to come crashing down on Austin's body on the floor!

Pulling Austin up from the wreckage, while the officials in the background continued to scream and yell, pleading for the two men to stop fighting, Taker delivered a stiff shot to the right of Austin's jaw, the evil and demonic look on his face that of one hoping to maim, but Austin, whose adrenaline was fueled on pure hatred and beer alone, began to fight back, delivering a shot to Taker's jaw, as well!

That's when both men, right in the parking lot, began having a good old fashion fist fight, neither man truly getting the better of the other one, but that surely was the eventual goal!

It wasn't until about four officials a piece grabbed both Austin and Taker by any body part that they could grab ahold of, a shoulder, a midriff, or shoulder, that both men were finally separated, but Austin and Taker, even with four officials each separating them, were still attempting to get their hands on one another, that's how badly those two wanted to literally kill each other! Finally, the officials were able to push Taker into the arena and down the hallway, leaving Austin outside, livid, screaming that he was going to "get" Taker before everything was said and done.

Tasting the faint taste of blood on his lip, Taker, only seeing red, only wanting to get his hands on Austin, to finish him once and for all, stalked through the backstage area, with Paul following right behind him, who was miraculously carrying the Smoking Skull belt over his shoulder.

As he shot through the back, eyes glimmering with pure, unadulterated evil, people ducking and dodging out of his way instantly, a poor sound check guy, who didn't even see Taker forging his way down the hallway, was literally thrown to the side like rag doll by the 6 foot 10 inch man, who never took his eyes off the directions on the wall, pointing him to the main stage.

Hearing the roar of the crowd, the pyro going off in the arena, Taker, more pissed than ever, walked through a black curtain and up a short flight of steps, as his music began playing throughout the arena. Almost not even having time for the lights to dim, Taker stormed down the ramp to the ring, Paul struggling to keep up from behind.

Rolling underneath the bottom ring rope, not even raising the lights as usual, and as Paul, who barely had time enough to grab a microphone from a ring announcer and climbed into the ring, Taker made his words scarce: "Austin, get your ass down here, right here, right now, and let's finish this once and for all!"

Calling out Austin to a fight would usually be considered suicide for any other WWF superstar, but for Taker, he was hoping it would be something more of a homicide instead, because he definitely had bad intentions for the Rattlesnake.

As the crowd beamed and buzzed with anticipation, when the glass broke, those who weren't on their feet, suddenly leapt into the air, as Austin, stomping to the ring himself, cursing audibly, taking off his shirt in the process, made a beeline for the ring! Sliding underneath the bottom ring rope, as Paul Bearer scooted out of Dodge, Taker and Austin went back and forth again, slugging it out, exchanging rights and lefts to the corners of each other faces, battling each other from ring rope to ring rope, from post to post, in the hopes of annihilating each other!

As more officials rushed to the ring, at least a full dozen now, hoping to once again separate the two battling men, Linda, being escorted by both Jerry Briscoe and Pat Patterson, made her way down to the ring, as well, looking none too happy about the fact that the night's show had been delayed by an unsanctioned fight. As Pat held up the bottom rope for Linda, Austin and Taker both struggled against their human restraints, as Linda, who had her own mic, began to speak at the finally separated men.

"Now, I don't know what has come over you two here tonight," Linda began solemnly, very upset about Taker and Austin's seemingly disregard for everyone in the entire building, especially the senior management of the company.

"But let me tell you both this, and I don't want either of you to forget it, especially you Undertaker: this is _not_ how we conduct business here in the World Wrestling Federation," Linda said sternly, making it a point of pointing her index finger squarely in the middle of Taker's face.

"Watch it, Linda," JR warned, while King echoed, "Right."

Turning her head from both Taker and Austin, and continuing to lay down the law, Linda stated, "Now, I understand Mr. Austin that you feel you unjustly and unfairly lost the World Wrestling Federation title to the Undertaker at No Mercy UK last night, and with that, I agree, however, as the CEO of the World Wrestling Federation, and a minority stakeholder, you _can not_ go around assaulting WWF officials whenever you see fit. That is _not_ how things work around here."

The cameras, panning in on a shot of Austin, who was looking back on at Linda as if to tell her to "get on with it," turned their attention back on Mrs. McMahon, who declared, "And for that Mr. Austin, Stone Cold, I'm afraid that, because of your actions here tonight, that I, unfortunately, have to fine you $10,000 for every official that you assaulted here tonight."

"Whoa," King exclaimed, astounded how much money Linda would actually be fining Austin, once the number of officials he struct were officially tabulated. "That's probably a new house, JR."

"You ain't kidding," JR said.

As the crowd began to boo loudly, audibly upset at Linda's decision to fine Austin, especially since Taker had literally gone on a rampage through the backstage area only recently, assaulting anyone who dared step in his path, official or not, without any sort of repercussions whatsoever, Linda added on, "Now, Steve, I also understand that as the former World Wrestling Federation Champion, that you are entitled to a rematch for the World Wrestling Federation Championship, so I'm inclined in granting you that re-match. In just six days, this Sunday, Undertaker, you will be defending the World Wrestling Federation Championship against none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin, at Over the Edge in Kansas City."

The crowd, cheering loudly now, realizing that Austin had a very real chance of winning back the title, didn't seem to settle down at all, even though Linda held the mic up to her mouth; that's just how excited they were at finding out Austin still had another shot at being champion!

Linda, forcing her small voice to talk over the screaming crowd, went on with her other announcements, all the while, Taker and Austin stared a burning hole right through each other from either side of the ring.

"Now, as minority shareholder in this company, owning exactly 40% of the World Wrestling Federation, and with the rest of the board of directors owning approximately 10% of the company, well then, that means, Undertaker, that our share of the World Wrestling Federation equals yours, therefore, we now _share_ authority. You may be the majority owner of the company, but let me tell you something right now, as of tonight, your reign of terror is over."

Paul looked on curiously between Taker and Linda, not liking the sound of where Linda was going with all of this, and while Taker looked on with the intensity of a caged animal, Linda proclaimed, "With that being said, Undertaker, in order to ensure that Mr. Austin gets a fair chance of actually winning the title back at Over the Edge, as my second executive decision being a minority shareholder goes, Undertaker, I am telling you this: if any member of the Ministry is to get involved in your match against Stone Cold this Sunday at Over the Edge, you will be stripped of the title effective immediately."

The crowd, almost roaring now, as Paul shouted back at Linda, "But that's just not right," lowered their voices a small amount, as Linda added on.

"Now, as far as tonight is concerned, since both of you two seem so determined to get it on here, I'm inclined to let the both of you do that, as well."

As more cheers echoed out through the arena, and Austin and Taker starred deadly daggers at each other, Linda continued saying, "So tonight gentlemen, in this very ring, we are going to have ourselves some _real_ competition. First up, the new World Wrestling Federation Champion, the Undertaker, will be facing, in a non-title match, the Rock!"

Things started to really pick up for the crowd then, as the Rock, who was newly separated from the Corporation, and one of the most popular superstars in the company, was going to meet the Undertaker! "And Undertaker, you should be especially happy about this, because the Casket Match against the Rock should be right up your alley."

"A Casket Match, here tonight, King!" JR exclaimed over announcements.

"…A Casket Match between the Undertaker and the Rock, Jim Ross!" King offered, just as excited as JR.

Turning her attention to Austin now, Linda, simply as smooth and polished as any professional businesswoman should be, began making the second big match for the night. "And as for you Stone Cold, tonight, you will not only being competing, but one on one, you're going to facing none other than former Corporation member, Triple H, in order to cool yourself off."

As the crowd continued to chant and roar, knowing that tonight that they were going to see two huge matches, Austin mouthed out to Linda, "Just bring the son of a bitch on then!", obviously not afraid to face not only Triple H, but his close protege, Chyna, as well. Realizing that she had accomplished a semblance of calm almost from the equally irate Austin and Taker, Linda said, "Good luck on both your bouts here tonight …"

Linda didn't even have time to finish her statement, because the pissed off Rattlesnake snatched the microphone away from her, leaving Linda absolutely astounded at Steve's blatant disregard for authority.

Up until this day, she had never seen this side of Austin. Sure, he and Vince hated the ground each other walked on, but as far as she knew, she and Steve always had a respectable relationship with each other, which didn't include snatching things away from her or interrupting her while she was in the middle of saying something very important.

However, Steve, not waiting any further to say what was on his mind, stared at Linda for a quick moment, forcing the CEO of the company to backtrack two steps, before moving on to Taker, vitriol spilling from his lips.

"Linda, I just want you to know that I can give a damn about your little fine, and if you don't get out my face, you might just get you some of Stone Cold, too!"

"Wow," JR said in amazement, shocked that Austin was out right threatening Linda.

As Linda stepped back from Austin, Pat and Jerry providing her a bit of protection from Austin, as they moved Linda behind them, Austin, pointing to Taker, his blue eyes ablaze with fury, declared, "Undertaker, you son of a bitch, let me tell you this: you talk about taking souls and you talk about sacrificing people, but let it be known you stupid bastard, that tonight, Stone Cold Steve Austin is going to be doing a little sacrificing of his own, and by the end of the night, I will get a piece of your ass! And that's the bottom line, cause Stone Cold said so!"

Dropping the mic down to the mat below with an emphatic thump, exiting through the middle ring rope, Steve, absolutely livid, besides himself in anger, stomped backwards up the ramp, while Taker, Paul Bearer, Linda, and the rest of the officials, stood in the ring, all staring back up at Austin, who had obviously made some kind of proclamation.

What did he mean by "doing a little sacrificing of his own?"

Realizing he had troubles on his hands, all thanks to Linda, Taker slowly turned his head to face his mother law, his blank glare so frightening Linda literally jumped, exiting through the bottom turnbuckle rope as Pat held it up for her to leave the ring.

_"If all this could happen in this short amount of time, what else can happen,"_ a bewildered Stephanie wondered from the comfort of her own bed.


	58. Striking Rattlesnake

"We're back live, ladies and gentlemen," JR began to recap. "And if you're just joining us, uh, the new World Wrestling Federation Champion, the Undertaker, he and Paul Bearer, were heading into the arena at the top of the broadcast, and there, as you can see from the top left of your screens, Stone Cold Steve Austin, who lost the championship last night at No Mercy UK, thanks to Ryan Shamrock, he attacked the Undertaker from behind, really leveling Taker there, and some WWF officials, too, who unfortunately couldn't get out of the way in time.

Then before we went to commercial break, Linda McMahon, after fining Stone Cold 10 grand for every official he put his hands on, well, she made a very startling announcement."

"…Undertaker, I am telling you this: if any member of the Ministry is to get involved in your match against Stone Cold this Sunday at Over the Edge, you will be stripped of the title effective immediately."

"So, this Sunday in Kansas City, we are going to have Austin and Taker Two, I suppose, courtesy of the CEO of the World Wrestling Federation, Linda McMahon."

"Yeah, talk about unfair," King, in his heel-ish demeanor stated. "And JR, just when you thought things couldn't get any hotter, Linda McMahon also made a Casket Match between the Rock and the Undertaker, live here tonight!"

"And Stone Cold's gotta take on Triple H! Two big huge main events … and there, as you can see, Linda, with Pat Patterson and Jerry Briscoe, they seem to be leaving the arena, King."

Just then, Michael Cole, microphone in hand, ran behind Linda, Pat, and Jerry, attempting to get one final statement from the CEO before she departed Fort Lauderdale.

"Excuse me! Excuse me! I don't mean to delay you, Mrs. McMahon, just wanted to get your comments about all that has transpired here tonight."

Although Michael was innocently attempting to get a word with Linda, the chief executive officer looked to be in no mood to speak with anyone, kneading the sides of her right temple, clearly exhausted by the last 24 hours.

Not only had Linda flown all the way to the UK and back, leaving her injured husband and son, and recently returned home daughter behind back in Greenwich, she was also assaulted by Saphirra the night prior, she had to referee the match between Austin and Taker this Sunday at Over the Edge, and now she had to deal with a raging Rattlesnake and a demonic Deadman.

Needless to say, Linda's last few days had been both mentally and physically draining, and all she wanted to do now was return home to her family in Connecticut.

Pat, seeing how flustered Linda truly flustered, said to Cole, "Michael, we really do appreciate this interview, but as you can see, Linda is in no position to stay here tonight. The matches are made, it's not safe for her to even be in this building, and all she wants to do now is return home to her family in Connecticut. That's it."

Cole, respecting that Linda had made her decision to leave, slowly backed away, but as Linda was entering the limo, she issued one final statement.

"Before I go, Michael, I do want to re-iterate, to both Stone Cold and the Undertaker: neither one of you will be running amok here tonight. In fact, if either one of them dare to lay just one finger on any official, not only will the fines be doubled, but both of them will be suspended without pay. As far as this Sunday is concerned, at Over the Edge, especially the Undertaker, if any member of the Ministry interferes, the title will be vacated, and neither man will be champion."

Ducking her head into the limousine, both Pat and Jerry followed behind her, as Cole watched the black limousine slowly drive away from the National Car Rental Center.

* * *

><p>Although Linda had left the arena, throughout the entire night, Austin was on a rampage!<p>

Even though Linda had made it crystal clear that not one official was to be laid a hand upon, she hadn't said anything about any of the Ministry of Darkness members, and that's just who Austin was looking for … and he wasn't going to stop until he got his hands on the leader, the man who had stolen his World Wrestling Federation Championship the previous night, and that man was the Undertaker.

As the night began, Raw kicked off with official action in the form of a huge six-man tag match, involving the former World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Champions, X-Pac and Kane, teaming up with their good buddy, "Road Dogg" Jesse James, going up against the team of D'Lo Brown, "Sexual Chocolate" Mark Henry, and former D-Generation X member, "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn. Before the match could begin, however, X-Pac, the mouthpiece for he and Kane, issued a challenge to the Acolytes.

Holding a microphone in his hand, while Kane and Road Dogg stood behind him, X-Pac, looking as pissed as ever, yelled out, "Yo, Acolytes … you had a hell of time getting the job done last night boys, and if it wasn't for Bad Ass Billy Gunn … whose ass we're about to collectively kick right here right now in Fort Lauderdale, you wouldn't have those belts sitting around your waists right now, and that's a fact!"

Although X-Pac wasn't the greatest promo in the world, the crowd in Fort Lauderdale cheered along in agreement, the young man's intensity shining bright red through his very pores.

Like Stone Cold, Kane and X-Pac had been screwed out of their titles, as well, and both men wanted to get them back as soon as possible!

Looking directly into the camera now, X-Pac, sticking his finger right in the camera lens, then said vigorously, "So, as it stands, me and Kane are issuing the challenge. If you two are man enough, if you two got the cajones, the guts, Kane and I want our re-match this Sunday at Over the Edge! Now, you've got all night to get back to us, but you can be rest a damn sured, you won't be walking out of this building until we get our answer."

Even though the night's first initial match ended in a no-contest, after all the participants began brawling over the entire arena, with X-Pac and Road Dogg really doing a number on Billy Gunn, the challenge had been made, and it was up to both Farooq and Bradshaw to answer it … and it didn't take long for them to accept, either, because the next match featured the new WWF Tag Team Champions, the Acolytes, in a non-title tag team match, against former Corporation members, the Big Boss Man and the "World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock.

While Boss Man and Shamrock waited impatiently in the ring for the match to begin, Bradshaw and Farooq, as the new tag champions, walking down to the ring, took the opportunity to re-address both Kane and X-Pac, with Bradshaw telling them both, "Hell, son, if you want us, X-Pack, if you and that big red freak you call a tag partner, if either of you two want us, we ain't too hard to find! You know where to find us, _boys_. You know us, we're always up for a fight! You want some, come get you some! This Sunday at Over the Edge, show up to play, _boys_, and we'll see who the true men are around here!"

Bradshaw, then passing the mic to Farooq, looked around menacingly at both the crowd and at their opponents, as Farooq issued a warning to the "Seven Foot Monster" specifically.

"And Kane, after we get done with you especially, you big freakazoid, we know of a certain someone who will be more than happy that he'll never have to your big burnt ugly face again! And, X-Pac, chump …"

It was at this moment, however, that both Boss Man and Shamrock, who felt they were both being taken lightly, since the Acolytes were addressing Kane and X-Pac instead of them, decided to interrupt the men's declaration by walking up the ramp and attacking The Acolytes, the initial one-sided melee spilling all around the ringside area.

Outside of the ring still, Boss Man took Farooq's head and banged it hard against the announce booth, while JR and King tried to both call the match and stay out of harm's way simultaneously!

The tides, like all high caliber matches did, certainly changed as time progressed, as the Acolytes, who were initially getting beat left and right by Shamrock and Boss Man, began to gain some much needed momentum, after Farooq low blowed Shamrock when the referee was distracted, allowing Bradshaw to come in and take advantage.

Things looked to be all in the Acolytes favor in the end, as well, when Farooq battled Shamrock through the crowd, and the two legal men, Bradshaw and Boss Man, were left inside the ring to battle it out.

As both men, undoubtedly fatigued, pulled each other up of off the canvas with the help of each other's body, Bradshaw, seemingly out of nowhere, delivered a huge Clothesline From Hell onto Boss Man, but as Boss Man fell backwards from the crippling blow, all of his weight came crashing down unknowingly onto the referee behind him, leaving the official unable to to count the fall after Bradshaw managed to cover him!

As Bradshaw pounded the mat in anger, realizing he had the match won for his team, he attempted to pick up the incapacitated referee up by the shirt, almost as if he were a rag doll, but the ref was motionless!

As Bradshaw continued to toy with the referee, kicking at him with the heel of his boot, pulling at his shirt, the crowd in the arena all got to their feet in unison, at the sight of _who_ was coming down the ramp.

"It's Austin! It's Austin! There's the Rattlesnake!" JR proclaimed.

"What … what's he doing out here?" King wondered with confusion.

Sliding into the ring as sneakily as any rattlesnake would, Austin waited both silently and patiently for Bradshaw to turn around, and when he did, Austin, with one swift kick to the gut, issued a ferocious Stunner to the big man, dropping him instantly, letting him have a bunch of middle fingers down on the canvas for good measure, rolling out of the ring as quickly as he struck!

"Stunner! There's the Stunner on Bradshaw!" exclaimed JR.

The crowd roared with excitement, almost besides themselves that Austin had seemingly stuck it to the Acolytes, as a baffled King asked along shockingly, "What … what was that about? What was that for? No!"

As Boss Man was coming to, so was the referee.

Crawling over to Bradshaw's prone body in the middle of the ring, Boss Man managed to drape his arm over 1/2 of the newly crowned tag champion!

Farooq, who was coming back through the crowd, along with Shamrock, attempted to climb over the guardrail in order to break up the pin, but the weary referee was now at a count of two! Diving under the bottom ring rope, Shamrock had a presence of mind enough to grab Farooq by the ankle, holding him in place, as the referee's hand came down in a three-count, as Tony Chimel announced the winners of the match: Shamrock and the Big Boss Man!

Rolling into the ring quickly, Shamrock, as Bradshaw rolled out of the ring in pain, helped his partner up off the mat, pulling Boss Man up, signaling that the two were the victors of the bout.

Boss Man and Shamrock, who had both had their issues as of late with each other, especially after Shamrock defected from the Corporation, looked at each other intently in the eye, with Boss Man, after a moment or two, giving Shamrock a big dap to the chest, a show of respect from the man in black uniform, before respectfully bowing out of the ring.

As Shamrock celebrated in a far turnbuckle, climbing it, appeasing the crowd, the big question still remained: why did Austin interfere in the Acolytes match?

Everyone soon got their answer with the next match, involving Test taking on Meat, accompanied to the ring by the members of Pretty Mean Sisters, Terri Runnels and Jacqueline.

During the match, Test really took the newcomer Meat to school, but with the continued assistance of PMS, with Terri even putting Meat's foot on the bottom rope, breaking up the count at one point in the match, Test could never get the pin fall, which quickly turned the supposed 1 on 1 bout into a glorified handicap match, courtesy of PMS.

However, things began to shift in Test's favor, after he successfully manipulated Meat into his signature finishing maneuver, the Pumphandle Slam. However, before he could fully execute the move, Jackie, climbing the top turnbuckle, delivered a picture perfect Missile Dropkick to Test, knocking him down instantly, causing for an automatic disqualification, but that didn't matter, because Meat and PMS, took advantage of DQ by stomping away at a helpless Test in the middle of the ring!

In the middle of the ensuing chaos, out came Tori, as PMS' music played throughout the arena, with JR and King speculating if Tori had come out to join the team of PMS and Meat in the further beat down of Test, as well!

As Terri continued to skip around the ring in glee, Tori entered the ring through the bottom rope, while Meat and Jackie continuing to stomp away at a helpless Test.

The crowd, feeling Tori was about to get her some of the fallen superstar, were all surprised when Tori grabbed Terri by her golden locks, throwing her head first into the mat!

Jackie, attempting to avenge her friend, had her shot blocked by Tori, who retaliated with a big right to the side of Jackie's face, instantly sending the crowd into a tizzy. Meat, seeing how both Terri and Jackie down, escorted both women to the locker room, as Tori attempted to console the big man, but Test, not knowing who Tori was, snatched away from her.

Tori, continuing to appeal to Test, suddenly had the crowd behind her, the people in attendance all speculating as to why Tori even came out to help Test in the first place. As everyone continued to cheer loudly, Test wondering himself now why Tori helped him, from behind, out came both Mideon and Saphirra, attacking them both!

Sapphira, clad in an all black ensemble of a latex bra, which exposed her ample cleavage, latex pants, a chain length belt, and high heeled leather boots, while Mideon pummeled Test in the back with big forearms, put the boots to Tori, assaulting her just like she had done on the network premiere of Smackdown!, throwing her outside the ring with a big thump afterwards, with Test following immediately her after, as well.

Raking her hands through her wavy black hair, smiling from ear to ear, obviously proud of putting yet another beating on Tori, while JR speculated why two of the Ministry's members were even out to the ring, Saphirra walked over and grabbed a microphone from the ring announcer, looking around the crowd, still smiling massively, as everyone booed her fiercely.

After all, Saphirra was a big reason why Taker was even the World Wrestling Federation Champion to begin with.

Placing the microphone up to her lips, Saphirra, as two officials helped both Test and Tori to the locker room area, told the crowd, "Now, do you all see why _I_ am the most dominating female here in the World Wrestling Federation today?"

The crowd, continuing to boo her, obviously didn't put a damper on Saphirra's spirit, as she continued to talk away, this time holding her finger out.

"But, but, but, before I get ahead of myself: Billy Gunn, Mideon has a few things he wants to say to you, as well. Matter of fact, Mideon wants to do more than just talking. So why don't you bring you _ass_ out here, right here, right now, because it's only a matter of time before Mideon kicks your _ass_ for the European Championship at Over the Edge this Sunday."

As Mideon rubbed his hands together, JR reminded, "Oh, sure. Billy Gunn just had his ass all but handed to him earlier courtesy of DX and Kane. Quite convenient, wouldn't you say there, King?"

"As far as I am concerned, like I just said before," Saphirra continued, putting emphasis on her next few words. "I am the most _dominant_ Diva on the roster here today, and that is a fact!"

Earning even more boos, as Mideon clapped on, then falling to the mat on his hands and knees below, anticipating Billy Gunn, Saphirra added, "I mean, just look at what I did to Stone Cold Steve Austin just last night."

Garnering heavy jeers from the crowd this time, with audible insults such as "slut" and "bitch" being thrown at her, Mideon looked around the crowd annoyingly, while Saphirra mocked the boos she was receiving with her hands, obviously not fazed that she wasn't exactly a crowd favorite any longer, if she ever was.

"Oh, fine, sure, knock your socks off, boo your little lungs out. What am I gonna do, cry? You're all just booing because you all know that every word that I'm saying here tonight is true!"

Gaining some serious heel heat now, which was essentially feeding her dark fire, Saphirra gloated, "I cost Stone Cold Steve Austin the World Wrestling Federation Title, and there's not a damn thing any you idiots here in Fort Lauderdale can do about it!"

"She's telling the truth right there, JR." King reminded.

"I thought you said she didn't," JR retorted, remembering how King had claimed Taker won the belt all by himself earlier.

"Huh?" King asked coyly.

Continuing her campaign, Saphirra went on to say, "So, since I'm such a force to be reckoned with, and since I am the most dominant Diva in that very locker room, Debra, little Debbie, the 'Women's Champion', how about you come out to face me, face to face, woman to girl, because I want the Women's Championship! Debra, get your ass down here to this ring and let's do this!"

"Wow, JR!" King said enthusiastically, "Ry-Saphirra, she's calling out Debra, puppies, Debra!"

"The Women's Champion," JR added. "And Mideon, he wants Billy Gunn!"

"Let's get it on! Woof, woof! Here girl! Here puppies!" King puppy called ecstatically.

With both Mideon and Saphirra both in the ring, ready for a fight, anticipating both Billy Gunn and Debra coming down to the ring for what had the potential to be a slobberknocker, the crowd got more than what they bargained for when Austin's glass shattering music circulated throughout the arena, the camera particularly catching the look of horror that encased Saphirra's face.

Stomping down to the ring with what seemed to be gigantic steps, Austin's blazing blue eyes locked right on Saphirra!

The girl, terrified, even though she had literally just bragged about costing Austin the title the previous night, ran out of the ring as fast as she could, Austin almost catching her by her black hair as he slid under the bottom ring rope, completely ignoring the fact that Mideon too was even in the ring.

Of course, that all changed when the demonic Ministry member brought his hand to Austin's shoulder, forcefully turning him around, but Austin, sensing it, delivered another huge Stunner, this time to Mideon, as Saphirra continued to hightail it up the ramp, running full force through the backstage area, leaving Mideon lying flat on his back in the middle of the ring!

"Austin's struck again!" JR shouted, realizing just what Austin must've meant when he told Taker he was going to be doing some sacrificing of his own earlier in the night.

"The Ministry, they're all on that Rattlesnake Hit List, and you gotta know who's at the top! You gotta know that it's the Undertaker! The hunter has just become the hunted!"

Climbing the middle turnbuckle, Austin signaled for four of his signature brewskies to all be tossed to him, as Mideon continued to lie motionless in the middle of the ring. Downing the cold alcoholic beverages down his throat, most spilling down his chest and shirt, Austin gave a double finger salute to the crowd, who all gave it back to him in unison, before bending down and giving Mideon, who was still unconscious, two middle finger gestures, as well!

Slipping through the bottom ring rope, the question that stood now was, who next on Austin's Ministry Hit List?

And again, that question seemed to answer itself.

The next match featured a big six man tag match involving the Brood's, Gangrel, Edge, and Christian, taking on a very hot new tag team in the form of Matt and Jeff Hardy, along with their tag team partner, manager, and former Fabulous Freebird member, Michael Hayes.

The Brood, no matter how sinister they could be, impressed the crowd with how tenacious and well-versed they could be as far as in-ring tandem, knowing each other seemingly like the back of their hands, while Michael Hayes showed everyone that for an older in ring competitor, he still had a lot left in the tank as far as being a wrestler was concerned, as the Hardyz, even though they were still fairly new to the WWF, showed off their amazing agility and in-ring ability, as well.

However, after all six competitors began fighting with each other, Matt and Christian and Gangrel and Michael all fighting on the outside with each other, while the referee attempted to regain order, back in the ring, Edge and Jeff fought tooth and nail with each other, but Edge, being the quicker of the two, ducked one of Jeff's blows, and amazingly reversed it into a DDT!

Sensing that the end was near, Edge, with no other members of Jeff's team able to help him, ducked in the far off turnbuckle, squatting down, awaiting for Jeff to get back to feet so he could deliver a spear, but as Jeff was getting off the canvas, just as Edge was about to deliver his finishing maneuver, out ran Austin once again, this time, with an equalizer: a steel chair!

Sliding into the ring with the steel chair in hand, Edge walked right into Austin's chair shot, the sound echoing throughout the arena, the crowd in unison nearly blowing the roof off the National Car Rental Center with a thunderous ovation!

Ducking back under the bottom rope, Jeff climbed the turnbuckle, as Edge continued to lie motionless on the canvas from that ferocious shot to the head, and as Jeff perfectly executed a Firebird Splash, the referee, his attention finally being to that in the ring, ran back inside to count the fall, making the Hardy Boyz and Michael Hayes victorious!


	59. The Ultimate Sacrifice

It was now time for one of the two main events of the evening, and with the metal casket sitting ominously in front of the ring, everyone now knew that the "People's Champion", the Rock, was going to have his hands full in his match with the newly crowned World Wrestling Federation Champion, the Undertaker.

After all, when it was first introduced into the WWF in 1992, the casket match was specifically designed for Taker, so beating him in a match which was considered by near majority as being Taker's speciality was going to be no easy feat.

As Rocky's music serenaded the crowd in the arena, the youngster, who was only 27 years of age, had a huge mountain to climb tonight. Even though Rocky had scored a pinfall victory over the Taker in the past, that was a completely different Undertaker on an entirely different night.

Tonight, as it stood, Taker was the most demonic force the World Wrestling Federation had ever seen. With his sudden change in persona, coupled him being the World Federation Champion, along with his animosity and problems towards Austin, and how Austin had seemingly laid waste to over half of the Ministry here tonight, Taker was in a foul, foul, mood, and he had every intention on taking it on the Brahma Bull, and Rocky knew that.

To beat the Phenom here tonight, in his own match, Rocky had to use both his speed and agility to keep the bigger man from slowly but surely breaking and wearing him down.

Climbing the top rope, raising both his right arm and eyebrow to the people, the Rock, who was almost the hometown hero, since his residence of Miami was only a thirty minute drive from Fort Lauderdale, received a huge ovation, one that was almost equal to the ovation that Austin received any place that he went!

Even celebrity footballer, Dan Marino who was in the Raw crowd, was standing on his feet for the Great One!

Jumping down from the turnbuckle, Rocky paced back and forth, no intimidation or fear visible whatsoever, as he anticipated his opponent.

Per usual, the lights to the arena dimmed and began flickering, with hints of deep purple and white, then, out of the dense smoke, out came Taker, Smoking Skull Belt wrapped firmly around his waist, however, Paul, who usually accompanied Taker to all of his matches, was nowhere in sight; Taker was obviously going into this one alone … or so everyone thought.

Staring at Rocky with a look of hatred in his eyes, Taker lowered his head and entered the ring, not taking his eyes off his adversary for a second.

Handing his championship belt to the referee, Taker attempted to cheap shot Rocky, but the Brahma Bull had Taker's plan well scouted, ducking under his right hand, fighting him back, backing him up into a turnbuckle!

Whipping Taker into the far right turnbuckle, Rocky got himself a full set of steam, attempting to steamroll Taker in the corner, but all he got was a big black boot to the face instead! That didn't stop Rocky, however, because once Taker came running back at him, he delivered a huge clothesline to the Deadman, knocking him down onto the mat, before putting boots to him.

Taker, even though he was coming off a championship victory, looked dazed going up against the youngster, because before anyone knew it, Rocky, scooping Taker up as if he were a baby, then dumped him onto the mat, showcasing an incredible feat of strength in a scoop slam.

The Rock, standing over Taker's motionless body, slowly pulled off his black elbow pad, threw it into the crowd, and prepared to deliver the People's Elbow, only for Taker to sit up! Rocky, always the improviser, then kicked Taker right back down onto the mat with one big boot, and dropped the elbow right into Taker's chest, making for one of the most entertaining People's Elbow thus far!

Sensing the end was near, Rocky began rolling Taker's body near the casket!

Just as the referee was raising the lid, Triple H, seemingly from out of nowhere, ran down to the ring, and slammed the casket shut from the referee's hands, pointing at Rocky up in the ring, letting him know that the match wasn't over just yet.

Coming down the ramp right behind Triple H was even more trouble in the "9th Wonder of the World", Chyna, who was bringing along with her a sledgehammer!

Triple H obviously wanted revenge for Rocky inserting himself into his match the night prior with the Big Boss Man, and he wasn't about to let his feud with the People's Champ die down so quickly, either.

As Taker tried to sneak up behind Rocky off the distraction, Rocky countered with several strikes to the face, the last one, which he reached way back for, knocking Taker over the top rope, but Taker, so catlike, landed right on his feet!

Grabbing Rocky about the ankles, Taker attempted to once again maim the youngster, but the Rock took advantage by dodging Taker's shots, delivering his own to the Phenom on the outside, the fans in the building electric with excitement.

Triple H, not wanting to wait any longer to get his hands on the Rock, turned him around forcefully, but like Taker, he too had his shots blocked, and the People's Champion delivered clean right hands to the side of Hemsley's face, knocking his foe down onto the padded floor below, while JR reminded everyone at home that there were no disqualifications in this match.

After knocking Triple H down, Rocky re-focused his attention of Taker, who was on his knees on the outside, attempting to regain his breath, but as Rocky was coming back to get finish the Deadman off, Taker, with a huge forearm, nailed the Rock in the People's Jewels, causing for instant pain to pierce throughout his entire body.

Then, for whatever reason, Taker, even though he didn't have much of an alliance with Triple H at all, other than them having a mutual enemy in the Rock, motioned for him to come over!

Grabbing the Rock's hand, Taker held it firmly over the steel ring steps, as Triple H, with Chyna right behind him, raised the sledgehammer high into the air, and viciously brought the twelve pound instrument right down on Rocky's forearm, causing for immediate, blinding pain!

Taker, not caring if Rocky's arm was more than likely broken or not, then came back around to him, who was in agonizing pain, and slammed his arm right into that metal casket, Rocky audibly screaming out in pain!

Throwing him back into the ring quickly, Triple H began stomping at a helpless Rocky, while Taker on the outside opened the casket lid! Kicking Rocky towards the casket, Taker helped roll the defenseless Rocky into the casket, slamming the lid shut, as Tony Chimel announced the Undertaker the victor … but both he and Triple H were far, far from finished with the Rock!

Instructing Chyna to hold the casket closed as tightly as possible, Chyna passed Triple H an object that looked similar to a screwdriver. While Hunter instructed Chyna to, "Hold it while I lock it! Hold it while I lock it!", Taker stood back and watched the madness unfold.

Standing on top of the casket for a moment, raising the sledgehammer into the air as if he were the victor, JR and King speculated about what was going to happen next, especially since it appeared that Rocky might be suffering from a broken arm.

That's when Triple H suddenly jumped off the coffin, throwing the casket onto the ground, with Rocky's body locked compactly inside! Falling sideways onto the ground, Taker, jumping at senior official Earl Hebner, causing him to scatter, helped Triple H to position the casket correctly.

"What — what are these heathens doing?" JR shouted, astounded that Taker and Triple H, even though they had clearly injured the Rock, and had locked him inside the casket, were continuing to assault a helpless human being.

As Taker ran away the half dozen officials, who were all attempting to stop the assault of the Rock, Triple H, with the sledgehammer, began wailing away at the casket, pound after pound, blow after blow, while JR screamed for someone to stop Triple H!

"There's a human being in there, dammit!"

But Triple H, who was blind with rage, did no such thing. In fact, he beat upon the casket so hard, so many times with that sledgehammer that he quite quickly burst the metal casing of the casket wide open, the Rock's body taking the worst beating it had ever taken on the inside!

"Oh, my God! The Rock's inside that casket!"

* * *

><p>After Raw returned from commercial break, JR, who was just as shocked as anyone else, summarized just what had just happened to the Rock, courtesy of Triple H and the Undertaker.<p>

Backstage, Sgt. Slaughter, Tony Garea, and two other WWF officials, tried to open that metal casket, to retrieve the Rock's body. Tony, having to use a crowbar to pry open the caseket, after a few moments, finally got the beaten door to the device to open, and what they saw … and smelled … was not good.

"Call an ambulance," the one WWF official said, followed by Sgt. Slaughter, who re-iterated that the Rock was going to need some serious medical attention.

* * *

><p>It was now time for the main event of the evening: Triple H vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin!<p>

Triple H, who was always accompanied by his loyal sidekick, Chyna, came back out to the ring first, and really had an air of confidence about himself tonight that was very different from the confidence that he exuded on any other night.

No doubt, Triple H was very proud of himself for putting Rocky in the hospital just mere moments earlier with the sledgehammer, but now, Triple H realized that if he could defeat Austin, the former World Wrestling Federation Champion, who was due for a rematch, then he wouldn't have to worry about Rocky anymore, because that just meant that he was just as worthy for a world title shot as Austin was… and Triple H was very hungry for opportunity to become the World Wrestling Federation Champion.

As Triple H jumped down from the middle turnbuckle, after showing off his awesome physique to the crowd, he literally only had a brief moment to speak to Chyna before Austin's music struck throughout the arena, once again, elevating the people in the building!

Austin, who was in the worst mood of his life after No Mercy UK, as Triple H made a beeline for him, jumping through the ring ropes and running straight towards him, threw off his vest, and began making an example out of his opponent.

Knocking Triple H down on the ramp, Austin, with every emotion except joy running through his body, leveled Triple H again as he got back up off the ramp, scooping the blonde former DX member up and around, planting him back onto the steel ramp way, causing for Triple H to yell out in pain instantly!

Kicking Triple H in the stomach with his knee, all the way back down to the ring, the Rattlesnake viciously slammed Helmsley face first into the steel ring steps, obviously not giving a damn about Triple H's well-being, which suited the people in the just arena, as they were squarely behind the "Texas Rattlesnake".

The Rattlesnake was so filled with venom that, with a two huge right shots, Austin knocked Triple H over the guardrail, through the anxious and lively crowd, and right back over on the padded floor below! Throwing Triple H into the ring for the first time, the match almost ended as quickly as it started, with Austin nearly nailing Hunter with the Stunner, but Triple H, having battled Austin previously in the past and knowing his game plan, had that one well scouted, rolling out the ring just in time to save himself, attempting to buy himself some time, but Austin was right behind him, nailing him from behind yet again, knocking him down onto the steel ramp!

Once back in the ring, Triple H, however, began to gain a bit of offense by delivering a face buster to the Rattlesnake, finally postponing Austin's momentum. Giving it to Austin as much as Austin had given it to him, Triple H showed off his great in-ring expertise, knocking Austin back onto the outside, eventually back into the crowd, where he attempted to use a steel folding chair on Austin, who was down on the concrete floor, but Referee Earl Hebnar snatched it away from Triple H just in time!

After that, Austin, getting ahead of himself, climbed the announcers' table, and attempted to double ax-handle Triple H, but Hunter struck Austin low in the gut, before throwing him right over into the announce position, barely missing JR!

Chyna even asserted her dominance over Austin! While Triple H had the referee distracted, the "9th Wonder of the World" grabbed Austin about the neck, choking him over the bottom ring rope!

Triple H then had Austin down on the mat in a perfectly executed Sleeper, but Austin, the tenacious brawler that he was, fought out of it, but then, while trying to clothesline Triple H off the running clothesline, Triple H had the same thing in mind, as both men forearms knocked each other down onto the mat!

Once back up, almost to the count of 10, both men once again battled back outside, this time, Austin giving Triple H a taste of his own medicine, throwing him back and forth over the announcer's booth as if he were a rag doll! Then, executing a Suplex from the outside of the ring to the inside, Austin quickly covered Triple H, but only got a count of 2, Triple H really showing a different side of him tonight, and definitely, the will to win.

As Austin was getting off the mat, from the top of the arena, something caught his eye, in a very huge way. The camera, panning up to the top of the arena, while JR and King wondered wildly about what was making its way down from the ceiling, Triple H hit Austin with a running knee, as Taker's giant metal symbol slowly descended down from the rafters.

"What is going on here?" JR asked flabbergasted. "Austin is down, and coming down is the Undertaker's symbol!"

Austin, back up again, knocked Triple H back down onto the canvas, right as Taker's symbol stopped just short of the ring, hanging precariously over Austin's head.

"What does this mean," King himself asked wildly now.

The question soon answered itself.

As Austin continued to stare up at that ominous symbol, because his problems further intensified as the bell began to toll.

"Uh oh," JR said. As the lights to the arena dimmed and his music began playing throughout the arena, only one thing could be made clear: the Personification of Evil was on the horizon!

Making his way down to the ring with purpose, Taker, having his entire Ministry all but attacked and destroyed at the hands of Austin, didn't feel much like a WWF Champion at the moment, and with his symbol lowering itself down to the ring, he planned on getting redemption!

Climbing up on the ring apron, Taker was quickly knocked down by the right hand of Austin, but Triple H, from behind, hit Austin in the back of the head, sending him flying through the middle rope! Coming right behind Taker, however, were both the Acolytes, Bradshaw and Farooq, who didn't even attack him! Instead, they both slid inside the ring, grabbing Taker's symbol, helping to lower and positing it inside the ring!

While Taker stomped a mud hole in Austin, then throwing him head first into the steel ring steps, after he had been through a war with Triple H, the Acolytes up in the ring brought the heavy symbol down to the mat finally. Taker, throwing Austin's beaten body back in the ring, the Acolytes, Triple H, and even Chyna all began to stomp away at a helpless Rattlesnake, as the Undertaker's intent was made very clear was: he was going to sacrifice the Rattlesnake!

And the fact that Mideon, Viscera, and the Brood's Edge, Christian, and Gangrel, along with Saphirra, were all coming down to the ring, didn't help matters for Austin, either!

Things looked both bleak and dire for Austin, as the Ministry drew closer and closer to the ring until behind them came the Big Show, Mankind, Test, Shamrock, and Big Boss Man, hoping to even the score against the Triple H, Chyna, and the Ministry!

Back inside the ring, as chaos and pandemonium ensued throughout the arena, everyone seemingly fighting everyone, Austin and Taker were both entangled with each other, but when it was all said and done, Taker was the one who was handcuffed to his own symbol, and not Stone Cold Steve Austin!

In shock, Taker stared back up at Austin with rage, who did nothing but offer him two birds to the face, before delivering three huge boots to the chest, knocking Taker back down onto his own symbol!

Austin, who at that moment, was more of a shark who smelled blood in the water instead of a Rattlesnake, was slowly about to pounce all over Taker, but Saphirra, proving herself to be the most loyal … and psychotic … member of the Ministry outside her master, climbed into the ring, wielding what looked to be a spare key!

Trying to free Taker from his symbol, Saphirra only made it to the base of the symbol, before Austin stopped her dead in her tracks, by grabbing a handful of black hair! The crowd, roaring, sensing what was about to happen, looked on intensely, as Saphirra, attempted to slap Austin!

Having her attack blocked, before she knew it, she was kicked swiftly n in the midriff, grabbed about the neck, and planted right down onto the mat again, another victim of the Stone Cold Stunner, payback for her costing Austin the title the night before!

"Yes, yes! That's just what that jezebel gets!" JR shouted!

"Austin .. how … do you realize what you've just done, Austin? You're signing your own death certificate, Austin!" King warned, surprised to see Austin had yet again that put his hands on a woman!

Bending down to grab the key from Saphirra's limp fingers, Austin mockingly dangled the instrument in front of Taker's face, who was desperately trying to free himself from his restraints, but it was no use. He was handcuffed to his own symbol and there was nothing he could do about it!

With the pitch of a professional baseball player, Austin then threw the key into the awaiting crowd!

Crawling over the Phenom like the venomous serpent he was, Austin struck quick and fast, delivering blow after blow to the face of the Undertaker, the crowd going absolutely ballistic, almost completely immobilizing him!

With one hand handcuffed to the symbol, Austin went about cuffing Taker's other arm to the metal, as well, completely trapping him! There was nowhere for Taker to go!

Offering him two more birds, JR screamed out, "There's another symbol for ya, Deadman!"

Austin, motioning for whomever was operating the crane to send the symbol high up into the air, walked over to the left side of the ring, getting a birds eye view of Taker being hoisted into the air, the crowd solely behind him!

"Austin, do you know what you're doing? You are making the biggest mistake of your life, Austin!" King screamed, not believing himself that because of Austin, _Taker_ was the one being sacrificed!

Taker, continuously shaking and pulling at his bonds, desperately trying to free himself, suddenly realized that there was no way out, as the symbol drew higher and higher into the air.

Austin, finally leaving the ring, walking out as powerful as he entered, was followed by Taker's eerily demonic music, the supernatural power of the Phenom enveloping the entire arena!

Snapping his head back, his hair falling over his shoulders, Taker began laughing maniacally, uncontrollably, a deep look of evilness shining bright through his eyes, while JR and King were both spooked with fright on announcement!

"Can you imagine … can you imagine what the Undertaker's retribution is going to be this Sunday," King asked in amazement, while Austin, from the top of the stage, never intimidated for a moment, slowly raised two more middle fingers in the direction of Taker, who continued to laugh on, possessed by possibly Satan himself!

"You've done it now, Austin!," King warned. "You've done it now!"

"Austin may have won the battle here tonight, but can he, _will he_ win the war, this Sunday at Over the Edge? The Undertaker will extract heinous revenge against Austin, and the WWF Title will be on the line, Sunday!"


	60. A Big Surprise

_BEEP … BEEP … BEEP … BEEP … BEEP_

The sound of Stephanie's alarm clock went off loudly, filling the entire room. Slowly turning her head in the direction of her alarm clock, Stephanie could tell, the sunlight shining brightly through her curtains, that it was now early morning now, her alarm clock, which read 10:00 AM, confirming the time. She hadn't gotten an inch of sleep the night before, however. Her mind was too consumed with … other things.

Indeed, just like the previous days and nights before, Stephanie's mind was so puzzled and boggled with different scenarios of what if's, how's, and why's, that sleep wasn't even an option. And after Monday Night Raw, with her having to witness her own husband being sacrificed in front of millions of people, sleep was definitely the last thing on Stephanie's mind.

The sudden knock on her bedroom door temporarily suspended Stephanie's maddening thoughts.

"Stephanie? Stephanie are you alright?" the small, yet stern voice called out from the other side of the door.

Sitting up in the bed now, looking all around her, Stephanie, sighing, answered back, "Yes, I'm fine, Gracie."

"You haven't come down for breakfast. Your mother is back home and she'd like to see you," the family's longtime housekeeper replied back.

Gracie had been with the McMahon's for years, practically raising both Shane and Stephanie, so she knew exactly when something was bothering them, and Stephanie sleeping until 10 in the morning, although normal for most young adults, was definitely not normal for her.

Knowing she had to get up now, wanting to see both her mom and her dad, Stephanie yelled back, "I'll be down in ten minutes." And with that, Gracie left for downstairs. Not really feeling like leaving out of the bed, Stephanie slowly placed her feet on the ground, almost dragging herself to her bathroom.

She was mentally exhausted!

Between Vince, Shane, Linda, Mark, and now Austin, Stephanie almost didn't even know what it meant anymore to have a clear and focused mind anymore.

For once, all Stephanie wanted to do was get up out from bed and not have to worry about the business, her husband, her family, and just enjoy life. She was twenty two years old, but right now, she felt sixty two, with seemingly the weight of the world on both her mind and her shoulders. But, she had to get up today.

She knew that just couldn't wallow around in sorrow. That wasn't how the McMahon's handled anything, and if she knew Mark, that wasn't how a Calaway would handle a tough situation, either. They always faced their problems head first, and Stephanie knew deep down inside that running and hiding would not solve anything.

On top of all this, Stephanie also had a doctor's appointment schedule for today in town at 3 o'clock, so just moping around would be useless for her.

Brushing her teeth and hair softly, Stephanie looked at herself in the mirror, gathered up some courage, and walked downstairs.

The kitchen, with the light smell of bagels, creme cheese, lox, eggs, toast, and the aroma of fresh jam, smelled absolutely delightful, sending Stephanie's empty stomach into a gurgling frenzy. About to fix her a hearty helping of breakfast, Gracie came up behind Stephanie and said "I'll get that for you. Your parents are dining outside of the patio."

Realizing that Gracie never let Stephanie do anything herself, always babying her, even as an adult, Stephanie lightly planted a kiss on Gracie's cheek, thanking her for her help.

Walking over to the patio door, Stephanie was shocked to see Vince, albeit in a wheelchair, sitting outside, enjoying the day, which on the inside, Stephanie commended. Although Vince was still badly injured, if he had the will to come out his bedroom for a moment, to do something so small and trivial as eating breakfast, that must have surely meant that Vince was on the right track to finally recovering!

But yet, even that thought brought potential problems for Stephanie. If her father resumed natural health, how would things work out for he and Mark? Mark was now the principal owner of the World Wrestling Federation, and Vince didn't have any ownership to it anymore whatsoever. Sure, he was still the chairman of the board, but …

"Steph," Linda called out, interrupting Stephanie's thoughts. Patting the seat next to her, Linda, who was reading a newspaper, called out to her daughter. "Sit with us, please. We all have so much to discuss."

Realizing that she had almost gone off into a trance of worry again, Stephanie gave a weak smile, and sat next to her mother, who was eating a breakfast of fruit, yogurt, and orange juice, while her father was reduced to only digest a clear liquid prescribed to him in order for his larynx injury to fully heal.

As Gracie sat Stephanie's food down in front of her, Steph patiently waited until Gracie exited back into the kitchen before she began to scold Linda!

"Mom, what were you thinking going to Monday Night Raw last night all by yourself? You could have been hurt!"

Linda, shaking her head herself now, closing her eyes, also wondered the same thing before even going to the show. For one, she was absolutely weary of seeing both Mark and the entire Ministry at the show, especially in light of what happened at No Mercy UK, but at the end of the day, as one of the minority owners of the company, and as someone who sat on the board of directors, Linda had a job to fulfill, and that job was to make sure that Mark and his crazy schemes didn't sink the WWF ship.

"Stephanie," Linda appealed. "This is a family owned company. No matter if Mark is the majority owner right now or not, I still have a responsibility to you, to your father, to the board, to the superstars, and to the fans, to make sure that the company is run both smoothly and professionally. I know you may have watched the show last night and may have been upset at what you may have witnessed, but Stephanie, sometimes being in danger comes with the territory."

Shaking her head, not fully taking in what her mother was saying, Steph retorted, "But, Mom, you're not Dad. Sure, you helped to build that company, but those people are a different breed, Mom. Dad can handle stuff like that. You can't. Just look at what Ryan Shamrock did to you!"

Linda, absently feeling her neck, was still feeling the effects of having been tripped by Saphirra, and if Linda was thinking properly, she would have fined Saphirra last night, as well, for assaulting a WWF official. Clearly she had picked up one too many tricks from the Ministry.

Knowing her daughter was truly afraid for her and her well-being, Linda replied, "Stephanie, I'm fine. We're all fine. You're back home where you belong, your father and your brother are both getting better, I'm here. Now, it's just time for us to become a family again, ok? I don't want you to worry."

Nodding, Stephanie still couldn't help but to wonder just for how long she would continue living here in Greenwich. In all honesty, she missed Mark, and them separating almost felt like a death to her. She didn't want to disappoint her family, but at the same time, she didn't want to disappoint Mark, either. Although she had a family here in Greenwich, and they too were a priority for her, she also had a priority to her husband, as well.

"So, Princess, what are your plans for today?" Vince asked with a husky voice, still feeling the effects of that metal folding chair crashing into his throat.

Moving her hair from her face, attempting to bite her bagel, which had a lovely coating of creme cheese on it, paired with the thin salmon, Stephanie replied, "Nothing, honestly. I mean, I was going to, you know, get in my car, drive into town maybe, do a little shopping. Just to … just to clear my head."

"That's good, Princess," Vince managed, having to use his good arm to take a swig of his clear liquid, his voice cracking from the pressure of actually speaking. With Linda placing the glass back down on the table for him, Vince, looking directly into Stephanie's eyes then asked, "So, have you thought any more about our little talk?"

"What little talk?", Linda asked curiously, naturally wanting to know what it was that her husband and daughter had spoken about.

Knowing Vince was attempting to back her up into a corner, and now, with Linda's attention fully on her, Stephanie, clearing her throat, feeling the pressure, replied, "I have, Dad, and um, I was just going to go into town first, and you know, clear my head, then, I was going to get back to you … on that."

"Well, what is it that you and Vince talked about?"

Lying quickly, before Vince could lie, or potentially tell the truth for her, Stephanie said, "Just … about … the whole divorce thing and how we were going to go about it, that's all."

"Well, I thought we were going for an annulment?" Linda asked again, looking at both Stephanie and Vince from side to side. "I mean, from our understanding, it would definitely be the best course of action for you, as if this whole traumatizing ordeal that Mark has put you through never really existed, right?"

"Right, Mom, right, I just … just get the whole things … terminology … confused."

Offering her mother a weak smile, then casually looking over to Vince, who was sitting up in his wheelchair, Linda looked down at her watch on her wrist and said, "Well, it is almost 11 o'clock, and if you want to beat the traffic of downtown, then I suggest you leave about now. I think your Corvette misses you, too."

Smiling at her daughter, Stephanie politely excused herself from the table, walking back up to her bedroom, in order to take a shower. Lathering up her body nicely, Stephanie was almost furious with her father! Just like Mark, he had put her on the spot!

She had already told Vince that she was uncomfortable in potentially setting up Mark, that she wasn't that type of person, but for him to attempt to extort her almost, in front of her mother, in order to accomplish his selfish goals, just as Mark had done in front of Dean and Matthew, hurt Stephanie to the core, and she silently began weeping.

She wasn't built for this kind of treatment! She should be, right now, out around shopping with her girlfriends, checking out hot guys, having a good laugh, or in the very least back in Houston with her husband, but but she wasn't.

Drying herself off once she exited the shower, Stephanie dried her hair with a blowdryer, dressed in a cute short floral jumpsuit, a pair of sandals, grabbed her keys from the dresser, and left for the garage. Inside, Stephanie found a vast range of cars, from her father's second prized Corvette, after Austin had destroyed his most prized one a year earlier with a cement truck, Shane's black 1968 Mustang, and Linda's quaint sedan, but with Stephanie, only one car in the world mattered to her and that was _her_ Vette, Lucy.

Lucy, as she had named her, was given to her by Vince for her 16th birthday, and it had a lot of sentimental value to it. Not only was this the first car that Stephanie owned, but it was also the car she travelled across country in when she chose to attend Boston University. She had also nearly lost her virginity in the back of it, as well.

Climbing inside, seeing that things were just the way they were before she left, Stephanie cranked Lucy up, waited for the garage door to lift up, and slowly pulled out of the estate, the roar of the rumbling engine purring under her, Lucy never skipping a beat.

Passing through her subdivision and into town, Greenwich, the old town that it was, looked and felt of money. Even though Greenwich was small in size, only having a population of roughly 60,000 people, some of the wealthiest individuals in the world, from Mel Gibson to Puff Daddy, called Greenwich their home.

There was also some of the best world-class shopping you could find anywhere here in Greenwich, from Anne Fontaine to Tiffany & Co. to Saks Fifth Ave. to J. Crew. Slowly driving a respectable speed of 20 mph, Stephanie drove and admired Greenwich Ave., before she pulled in front of Greenwich Pharmacy.

Opening the car door and getting out, Stephanie decided that before she went to her doctors appointment today for her six month checkup, she needed something to relieve the queasiness in her stomach, having a feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong all day long. Walking into the store, Stephanie saw the owner, one of her father's good friends, Mr. Myers, ringing up a customer.

"Hey, Stephy, my girl, your father told me you were back!" Mr. Myers yelled out, absolutely thrilled to see Stephanie back in one piece. Coming from behind the register, Mr. Myers, who was only about 5 feet 2 inches tall, hugged Stephanie tightly, as she honestly had to bend down for his small stature.

Rubbing the side of her face, Mr. Myers then said, "I'm glad to see you back, Stephy."

"It's good to be back," Stephanie replied, smiling down at a man, who despite not playing a huge role in her life, cared an awful lot about her. And that was just the thing. Stephanie always knew that because she was the daughter of Vince McMahon, that she was going to be regarded more warmly than others, however, once she returned, or when people saw her again after her abduction, they all had seemed to genuinely care about her well-being, which, once again, upset her that she had been almost so willing in deceiving everyone.

Once again breaking her concentration, Mr. Myers announced very loudly again, "Stephy, get whatever you need, ok? You want it, whatever it is, it's on the house, today."

Smiling softly, Stephanie replied, "Thank you," to Mr. Myers, who climbed back up a small set of stairs, ringing up the customer again.

Walking through the pharmacy almost felt like she was walking through her home again, that's how well she knew it. Going straight to the aisle that she needed to be on, Stephanie picked up a box of Alka-Seltzer, hoping the over the counter drug could her with her almost nauseousness.

Turning around, on the same aisle, Steph bent down once again, admiring the wide assortment of pregnancy tests the pharmacy was carrying. Although Stephanie knew that she more than likely wasn't pregnant, with Mark withdrawing and all, she still wanted to be on the safe side, and with her period being late a few days, she wanted to make absolute certain that she wasn't.

Picking up a ClearBlue Pregnancy Test, Stephanie decided to grab two more, especially since home pregnancy tests had been in the news a lot lately for being somewhat unreliable.

Seeing that Mr. Myers was at the other end of the pharmacy helping a few customers find for something on a nearby shelf, and not wanting to risk the pharmacist blabbing to her father about her purchase, Stephanie decided to go to another register, where another young man didn't have any customers.

Checking out quickly and paying the almost $40 for the three pregnancy tests and the Alka-Seltzer's, Stephanie gathered her bag, leaving out of the pharmacy quickly. Once outside, however, she quickly ran into three girls that she had honestly thought she would never see again.

"Oh, my God … is that … Stephanie?" Samantha, a blonde girl, who was exceptionally beautiful, yelled out, hugging Stephanie about her body before she could fully realize just who was embracing her. Samantha, still hugging her, was serving so much as a distraction that Stephanie barely realized in time that behind Samantha came two other girls.

One was named Olivia, who had shiny coconut brown hair, chopped into classic 90s bob. Olivia was just as tall as both Stephanie and Samantha at 5 feet 8 inches tall, and besides her was the name of Elizabeth, a red head, not as tall as the other three, but still tall nonetheless.

All three girls looked absolutely thrilled to see their best friend Stephanie once again. It had been weeks since they had last seen her, but for some reason, Stephanie wasn't exactly thrilled to see either one of them.

Samantha, pulling herself away from Stephanie melodramatically, who was dressed as anything but conservative, in a tight leather and green halter dress, with a matching choker, rubbed Stephanie's upper arms vigorously, causing her to cut her eyes in almost disbelief.

"You poor, poor thing! Oh, my God, we never thought we were ever going to see you again! _Literally_. Tell us, Stephy, was it really all that bad? You know we've missed you."

"Yeah, like, the whole town has just been feeling so sorry for you and stuff," Olivia said, who was dressed in all blue ensemble with yellow cardigan to match, pulling a lollipop away from her lips. "Like, everyone. The whole town," the girl stated again, nodding her head up and down profusely, as if she were trying to convince Stephanie of something.

"Look, Steph, be honest, ok: was all that crap with that crazy guy with the black hair and weird looking beard thing for real?" Elizabeth, who was dressed in a purple mini cardigan, a green halter shirt, and a tribal skirt, pushing Olivia out of the way, asked, feeling Stephanie may have accentuated her ordeal with Mark.

"Because I'm telling you, my dad says whatever it is that your dad does, it's super, super fake, and that you were putting on the entire time, like lying and stuff, so come off it already, girl. You know you can tell us, right?"

Stephanie, whose mouth was agape, honestly in shock that she had been bombarded by whom she had presumed to be her good girlfriends, then had to suddenly jerk her hand back, when Olivia, half asking, half exclaiming, said loudly, reaching for her bag, "And what's in the bag, girl?!"

Seeing that Stephanie was flustered by all of the sudden attention she was receiving, Samantha, the presumed leader of the group, literally had to hold her arms out in front of the other two girls, in an attempt to stop the onslaught of questions Stephanie was receiving. It was literally all too much for her brain to process!

"Girls, girls … can't you see that our good friend, Stephanie here doesn't care to answer all of your stupid questions?" Samantha scolded, as both Olivia and Elizabeth seemingly backed off. Knowing she had everyone's full attention, Samantha, who had been known in her time as "Satan in Stilettos", continued, smiling on, attempting to get a point across.

"She's certainly had a trying time the last couple of weeks, so, instead of boring the poor thing to … _death_, because thank God, you aren't … you know … _dead_ … I propose that we, in honor of our one good friend returning to Greenwich, all go to the spa, facials, manis, pedis, get pampered by some really hot guys, but before that, we all go shopping … at Saks. Use our daddies' black cards, run up the tab a little bit, and after that, fly to New York tonight, and just so happen to light the whole fucking town up? Now, doesn't that sound just lovely, Stephanie?" Samantha ended, with a devious twinkle in her eye.

Although Stephanie's family was wealthy, so was Samantha's, as her father was a direct descendent of the Rockefeller's, along with her mother being a descendent of the Vanderbilt's. As her parent's only child, along with her being the leader of their clique, Samantha was not a girl who was used to hearing the word no, but on this day, Stephanie had a feeling that she might just be hearing it more than usual.

"You know what, girls? I think I'll pass." Stephanie answered casually, as her "friends" all looked shocked that Stephanie had turned down Samantha's proposal.

Scoffing, not truly believing what she had just heard, Samantha appealed. "You can't be serious? Stephanie, I know you've been away, to God knows where, but that's over and done with now. We want to hang out, get back to basics. You're back now, so you can't say no."

Looking into Samantha's eyes for a moment, who almost seemed sincere in what she was saying, along with both Olivia and Elizabeth, who were backing up her every word, Stephanie suddenly had a flashback to a conversation she and Mark had back in Houston.

Although he still had a lot personally to work on, he was absolutely right about one thing: these girls were definitely not her friends. Gathering up her courage, because she too at one point had been one of Samantha's "yes" girls, Stephanie replied calmly, "Yeah, I kinda am saying no."

Shaking her head again, confused, Samantha retorted, "You can't mean that? Do you know what you're doing here?"

"Yeah, I know exactly what I am doing, _Samantha_. It's the same thing you guys did when I needed you: you left. You left me when I needed you, so I think it's about time that I returned the favor."

Turning around on her heels to leave, Samantha asked sarcastically, "Wait, so you're just going to leave because we didn't want to be next in line for the little circus, freakazoid Rockabilly side show you just so happened to be involved in? You can't be serious, because if you are, then Stephanie …"

"You know what, I am serious!" Stephanie said loudly, cutting Samantha off. Realizing that she had drawn the eye of several passerby's with her tone, Stephanie, attempting to keep her cool, confronted her "best friend".

"I needed you guys! I needed you guys in the worst way possible, and where were you all, huh? Nowhere! You left me! I called, no answer. I came by your house. Your housekeeper told me you weren't in, despite the fact that I could see you peeping out from your bedroom window. You left me. And you call yourself a 'friend'? Yeah, right. So, from this day forward, I don't want to see any of your faces ever again, because you three were never my _true_ friends to begin with."

Walking away from all three girls in a huff, attempting to cross the street, wanting to get to the other side of Greenwich Ave., which contained more restaurants and shops, Samantha, boiling inside that Stephanie had dared to confront her, wasn't about to let Stephanie get away so quickly.

Walking up behind her, Samantha literally grabbed Stephanie by the arm in the middle of the street, confronting her yet again, stopping the flow of traffic as she did such!

Stephanie, surprised to see all three girls had followed her, couldn't even get a word out, as Samantha stuck her long painted red index finger in the middle of Stephanie's face, warning her deeply.

"You have seriously lost your mind. Do you know who it is that you're talking to? My name is Samantha McCall, and you _won't_ talk to me … any of us … like you run this town, _Stephy_."

As she spoke, Samantha took a hunk of Stephanie's brown locks and flicked it from her shoulder, attempting to reassert herself as the alpha female in Greenwich, as cars from both directions were now honking at all four girls in the middle of the street, the scene tenser than any swerve in a movie plot.

"You don't, we do," Samantha reaffirmed. "A lot has changed since you've been gone, _Stephy_. In fact, I'd say that this town was better off without you. So, since you want to cross _me_ … _us_ … I should just let you know that it won't be our faces you'll have to worry about seeing again, because it's this ugly mug _we_ won't ever have the displeasure of seeing again. Got it?"

Walking into Stephanie's face, nose to nose now, invading her personal space, with Olivia and Elizabeth both right behind her, backing her up, each one of them attempting to intimidate Stephanie, Samantha issued one final warning.

"Get lost, _Stephy_. Because if you don't …"

"And you …" Stephanie cut off, surprisingly, physically pushing Samantha out of her face, wagging a lone finger in her face in return, warned menacingly, "… better not threaten me? Need I remind you that while you may be a 'McCall', I'm still a _McMahon_, _Sammy_, and I know all your _dirty_ little secrets."

Stephanie, taking a page out of Mark's handbook, in which he would scare people witless without even touching them, curled her finger around Samantha's golden locks, twisting it around her forefinger, said deviously, "Like how your parents have a _slut_ for a daughter? Like how you spent the entire summer in the Hamptons at the family beach house with your 40-year old professor from Boston U? Or how you slept around for those A's and B's, based solely off how _good_ you gave it. Yeah, I thought you did."

With Elizabeth's eyes nearly about to pop out of her head in shock, and Olivia's mouth agape, in true disbelief that Stephanie had dared to threaten to air out Samantha's dirty laundry, Samantha, keeping her cool, smirking, sized Stephanie up, while she on the hand grinned wildly, feeling the same adrenaline that pumped through her veins after setting up

Kane, Big Show, and X-Pac.

Walking up to her again, now, placing her lips at the base of Stephanie's ear, Samantha said slowly, her warm breath brushing up against Stephanie's neck, "This isn't over, _bitch_."

Chuckling lowly now, Stephanie turned her head to the side, her hair falling about her shoulders, replying finally, "You're right, it's just beginning, _bitch_."

As Stephanie watched all three girls walk away from her and back down the street in a rush, internally proud of herself for once again standing her ground, Stephanie suddenly realized that all around her were honking cars.

"Hey, kid, you going to move anytime soon or what?" one irritated driver yelled out from his luxury BMW.

Realizing she had held traffic up long enough, Stephanie, finally regaining her focus on what really mattered at the moment, sauntered onto the other side of the street, attempting to find the closet restaurant with a restroom inside. Walking into the _Famous Greek Kitchen_, stuffing the pharmacy bag inside the purse she was carrying, Stephanie was immediately hit with the warm and inviting aroma of hummus and pita bread, but it wasn't the food she was interested in.

"Hello, ma'am", a young hostess greeted Stephanie. "Welcome to _Famous Greek Kitchen_. How many will be dining with us today?"

"Um …" Stephanie hesitated, looking around for the nearest restroom. Spotting it on the far side of the restaurant, Stephanie eventually answered after four or five seconds, "Just one today."

"Ok. I'll be happy to seat you anywhere you like ma'am."

As Stephanie replied "Thanks", the hostess escorted Stephanie through the restaurant, seating her in the back of the restaurant in a booth, exactly next to the restrooms.

Settling for just a glass of water now, Stephanie watched as the hostess walked back to the front of the restaurant as she made a quick dash to the restroom.

Checking under all the stalls to make sure no one was inside of them, Stephanie quickly locked the door behind her, not wanting to be interrupted or disturbed by the sure horde of women who were coming in during or after their meal. Ripping the box open, Stephanie didn't even bother to read the instructions. She already knew what to do: take the stick out and pee on it.

According to the test, if a solid blue line appeared, similar to a minus sign, then she wasn't pregnant, but if a solid blue + symbol showed up then …

Peeing on the the end of the stick slowly, Stephanie squeezed her stomach as tight as she could, wanting to hold as much in as she could, just in case the stick read …

_… POSITIVE!_

Not truly believing her eyes, as a solid blue + symbol arose prominently on the stick, Stephanie almost lost her guts … literally!

Suppressing a scream, yelp, or some other kind of ungodly inner voice that was begging to be released, Steph, in a rush, feeling herself about to go all over the place, quickly, erratically, tore open both the other two unboxed pregnancy tests.

Taking the caps off both of them as fast as she could, as she heard the sounds of a woman knocking on the door from the outside, Stephanie, placing the first test on top of the tissue dispenser, simultaneously, all at once, peed on both sticks!

"This has got to be some kind of mistake! This test has to be defective!" Stephanie said out loud, not truly giving a damn at the moment if the people who were outside knocking on the door impatiently heard her or not!

Emptying her bladder, Steph, even with a hint of urine on her fingertips, shakily held both tests up in the air, wanting to get a clear look at both of them. After about a minute or so, the results came back.

for the first test, + for the second test!

Dropping the two sticks onto the ground, Stephanie quickly wiped herself and her fingers with a wad of tissue, completely dumbfounded and baffled as to how this could have happened!

"No! No, no, no! No! No! No! No" Steph mumbled to herself aloud, placing her hands in her head, in utter disbelief, almost on the verge of tears. "How could this have happened?"

On one hand, Stephanie loved Mark, and one day, she did want to start a family with him, if they could get their relationship back on track, but right now, they weren't even together! And this wasn't planned!

She was only twenty two years old, and truth be told, Stephanie wasn't ready for children!

Shaking all over her entire body, her fingers trembling, Stephanie managed to reach inside of her purse, grabbing her cell phone, and pressing a button where she had a number saved on speed dial.

"Dr. Graves, OBGYN speaking, how may I help you?"

"Julie, this is Stephanie," Steph said on the other side of the phone, sliding down onto the floor of the restroom stall, completely ignoring the fact that sitting on the floor of a public restroom wasn't the most sanitary for options, but right now, she didn't care whatsoever.

Realizing the heightened alarm in Stephanie's voice, Dr. Graves answered, "Oh, hi, Stephanie. What's wrong. You're supposed to be in the office, in what, another hour or two?"

"Yeah, I know," Steph replied, wiping a tear that had escaped her eye away from her face. "I need to come in a little early, Julie, if that's ok with you. I wouldn't normally ask you this kind of stuff, I know you're busy, but I definitely need to see you now."

Opening her digital appointment book on her computer, Julie replied, "Well, a patient did just phone, said she was rescheduling. Turns out, she's going into the delivery room today, so definitely, come on in. Is everything ok?"

Not answering Dr. Graves' last question, Stephanie replied, "Thanks, Julie. I'll see in twenty minutes," before finally pressing the red "End" button.

Taking a deep, with shaky breath, Stephanie, attempting to regain her focus, grabbed all three pregnancy sticks, placed the caps back on each one, threw them inside of her purse, washed her hands in the sink, dried them quickly, and hurriedly unlocked the door, as a flood of women stood outside, completely flabbergasted that Steph had locked herself inside the women's facility!

Walking back outside, crossing the street frantically, Stephanie threw her purse into the passenger seat, put her car into reverse, and sped down the busy street, determined to get to Dr. Graves' office as quickly as possible.

* * *

><p>As Stephanie sat upon the exam table in a loosened gown, her hair all over the place, impatiently awaiting Dr. Graves to re-enter the room, hopefully to tell her some good news — that all three of those ClearBlue tests were negative — Stephanie couldn't help but to think about the what if's that arose with being pregnant.<p>

What if Mark didn't want her back after leaving him? What if he didn't want to help her to raise their child? Would she have to raise this baby all by herself? What if her parents disowned her for conceiving a child with a man they considered to be the enemy? Would she even keep this child?

She didn't necessarily believe in abortions, but she couldn't raise this child all alone, if she was indeed pregnant. Children needed fathers, a two-parent household, and if Mark couldn't see that, then what?

How could she even afford a child on her own? She didn't have a job. The business was all she knew, but she wasn't exactly employed there, either. She couldn't even touch her trust fund until she turned twenty five. What would she do for money? Babies were expensive, and going into the New Millennium, they were going to get even more expensive.

What if she was a bad mom? What if she didn't raise her child right and they grew up resenting her, like some of her classmates resented their parents.

Stricken with worry and grief, Stephanie began to pray silently just as Julie was finally re-entering the room, some twenty minutes later.

Placing her chart down next the sink inside the room, Julie said, "Well, Steph, after reviewing your urine sample, I can definitely say that you are 100 percent pregnant."

Although Dr. Graves words were as calm as a gentle night, inside Stephanie's stomach was more like a turbulent tidal wave, that's just how sick she felt. Blinking absently at her, Stephanie said within stutters, "No … no … this has to be … this is a … I mean … you're joking … a mistake … right?"

Julie, who had known Stephanie for five years now, being her primary OGBYN, realizing that the girl was beyond terrified, slowly gripped her hand, attempting to sooth her.

"Steph. Look at me."

Steph, slowly turning her tear stained faced toward her physician, had her hand squeezed once again by Dr. Graves, who was attempting to calm the obviously frantic and almost hysterical Stephanie down. "Steph, listen, calm down, ok? Everything is going to be fine, alright."

Turning her head away from Julie, shaking it slightly, not believing that she had gotten herself into this predicament, Dr. Graves spoke up again, "Steph, you know I've known you for a very long time. I think we can even consider each other friends. I'm not Dr. Graves to you, and you're not Ms. McMahon to me, so, we can talk as girlfriends. Ok? Let's be calm and try to rationalize this sort of thing out, ok?"

Not having the courage to look her friend in the face, Stephanie bit her lip, nodding slowly, her head turned in the opposite direction, as Dr. Graves continued.

"Steph, going by your HCG, or your human chorionic gonadotropin level, which is only found in the female body after implantation occurs in the uterus, with your current level being above 25 mIU/mI, which is the earliest level of detection, you are definitely pregnant. Now, we can order a blood test if you like, blood tests are more sensitive than urine tests and are used to detect pregnancy even earlier than urine tests, but Steph, they detect the same hormone all three of your home pregnancy tests detected, along with the test just done here about an hour ago. They usually take about two to three days to come back, so we wouldn't get the results back until either Thursday or Friday, but, Steph, I think it's pretty safe to say that you're pregnant."

Leaning her head back, her hair falling all down her back, looking up into the bright lights of the room, Stephanie felt numb all over.

She was pregnant!

When she was younger, she dreamed about having children. She had just known that she was going to get married to her fairytale husband, that she was going to be either this great stay at home mom or career woman, and that she was going to have a picture perfect family, but none of that was happening now, and it was all because she didn't keep her legs closed!

Mark had promised that he wasn't doing anything that he wasn't supposed to be doing, after all, she could only remember one time when he had actually ejaculated inside of her, but Stephanie knew from all those lectures she received in high school from special guests and even from her mom that it only took that one time … and apparently, this was it! Feeling Dr. Graves rubbing along her hand, Stephanie finally met Julie in the eye once again.

"Like … I don't know what to say … I mean … how many … how far along am I? When?"

Standing up now, Dr. Graves went over to her chart and stated, "Well, judging by the information that you gave me, your last period began last month on April the 16th, and on a normal 28-day cycle, the best time for conception was between the 28th of April and the 2nd of May."

_"The 28th!? That's the day I lost my virginity!"_

Her head swimming. Gripping both sides of the table, feeling herself swaying a bit, afraid she might faint, Stephanie attempted to re-focus on what Julie was saying to her, even if it wasn't fully resonating with her.

"With that said, it seems that you're about three weeks pregnant, Steph, which would give you a tentative due date of January 20th or the 21st of next year, going by my chart here. We'll have to schedule you an ultrasound to determine the exact date you're expected to give birth, put a little cold jelly on your stomach, and see your little person for the first time, but it generally works the same way, except we're seeing how well the baby is positioned, how long he or she may be, if there aren't more little people in there. Right now, your baby is still just a tiny little ball surrounded by a bunch of amniotic fluid, so they don't have a heartbeat just yet, but in a few weeks, they will, and the ultrasound will definitely determine all of that."

Placing her chart back down on the counter, walking over to Stephanie again, Dr. Graves sat behind Stephanie, rubbing her shoulders from behind, wanting to assure her friend that everything was going to perfectly fine with her.

"Steph, I know this was unexpected, unplanned for you, however, you've got to look at the bigger picture now. You're expecting! You're going to be a mom. This is going to be one of the most exciting times of your life. You have to think positive about this."

Nodding, Stephanie, her throat was as dry as the Sahara Desert from the pure shock of it all, said finally, "I know … I know I should be … excited, and all, but Julie, you don't know what I've been through these past couple of weeks, and now … I'm pregnant?"

"The one thing you can't do now Steph is panic. Panic only leads to stress, and you and the baby inside of you definitely don't need that at the moment. Even though your baby is still a tiny ball, there's still a person inside of you, and Steph, you know, if you need me, or anything really, you know I'm here for you," Dr. Graves reassured, rubbing Steph's hair from the back now.

In all honesty, although she was aware of the dangers she had encountered throughout the past few weeks, Julie was confident that Stephanie, who was already a pretty mature young woman, would only grow wiser now that she was an impending parent, and if there was anything that she needed help with, Julie was going to be right there for her regardless.

Letting out hot air again, Stephanie said shakily, "Julie … I know … and please don't think I take anything you do for me for granted, because I don't. It's just … promise you won't tell my parents. Please."

Almost slightly offended, Julie said, "Steph, you know I can't break patient/doctor confidentiality."

"Yeah," Steph said lowly. "It's just that … I wasn't supposed to get pregnant … at least not now. I mean, my dad, _my husband …_ the guy you saw do all those crazy things to me … I know how it looks on TV, but he's not that person you see. It's almost like a persona, you know? And they, my dad, and Mark … the guy from the TV, they hate each other! I'm not even with Mark now. We separated … which is why I'm back here. I was honestly supposed to be starting this entirely different … new life … in Texas … where Mark lives … but … I mean, what am I supposed to do? My dad will hate me! What if Mark doesn't want me now?"

Grabbing Steph about the arms, Julie, smiling, continue to issue her trusted advice, then said, "Steph, what's important most now is the fact that this baby has to come out in 8 months and maybe an odd week. And he or she is going to come out regardless whether your father and this man in your life get their act together or not.

If I were in your position, and you really love this guy, despite what the public may feel about him, how_ I_ may even feel about him, I would tell him first that you two are expecting, since he is the father, then, if you two can come to terms, and I pray that you guys do, then both of you should tell your parents. Alright?"

Nodding once more, Julie rubbed Steph's arms again, before jumping off the exam table, saying, "I'm going to go write you a prescription for a prenatal vitamin, but after you leave, I want you to get plenty of rest, ok? Don't worry about anyone or anything other than you and the baby, ok?"

Nodding finally, Steph watched as Julie quietly exited the room, as she continued to stare blankly into space.


	61. Home Away from Home

It was around midnight now and finally, after hours and hours of aimless wandering in her little red sports car, Stephanie was once again driving back through her quaint subdivision.

Although she had previously told her parents that she'd be home by sundown, after the news that she received today, that she was expecting her first child, Steph really didn't have the desire to be submerged back inside her own four walls again.

And that's just it. A few months ago, when Mark was stalking her, when she was checking in and out of countless hotel rooms under countless fake names, all she could think about was her own four walls, her own bed … but not anymore. Quite frankly, with all the various emotions that were throttling through Stephanie right now, she didn't know exactly where she wanted to be …

Even though she and Julie engaged in a very heart to heart conversation about her pregnancy, all Steph could continuously ask herself, over and over again was, _"What was I thinking? Who is this woman that I've become to allow Mark to impregnate me?"_

Mark had promised Steph that their love making was completely safe, completely innocent, had assured Steph that she _would not_ get pregnant, but now, she was!

And deep down inside, even though Steph wanted to blame Mark badly, in the end, she knew that the only person she could blame for this entire incident was herself.

On top of now being an expectant mother, Stephanie not only had to break the news to Mark, but to her parents, as well, and that singlehandedly frightened Stephanie the most, as she was absolutely certain that her father would disown her after this sure betrayal, not to mention all the tears and heartache Linda would shed and go through, as well.

However, Steph could see her mother growing to love her first grandson or granddaughter, and Mark surely would be a wonderful father, even if he did have other tendencies that Stephanie didn't normally care for, but Vince …

So not only was she gaining a life with this new baby, her new child, but now, she was simultaneously losing one, as well. And losing Vince, on top of losing Mark …

And what about the press?

_"Abducted Daughter of World Wrestling Federation Chairman, Vince McMahon, Pregnant by Abductor!"_

"Yeah, that's going to read real nice on all the front pages," Stephanie thought sarcastically aloud.

What would the other WWF superstars think? What would the public think? Would anyone at all be sympathetic to what she was going through right now, or would everyone call her the whore she truly was turning out to be … well, at least in their eyes?

Steph thought about lying, about telling everyone, when the sure news broke about her pregnancy, about how she didn't want to have a baby, which in theory would be true, however, people would automatically put two and two together, and figure that Mark had forced himself onto her sexually, and that certainly wasn't the case! But if she kept silent, would people conclude the same thing?

Certainly there'd be plenty of legal ramifications for allegedly sexually assaulting the young, vulnerable daughter of a prominent media figure such as Vince McMahon, especially after forcing said daughter to marry him on live television, and Stephanie definitely didn't have the heart to do all of that to Mark, whether he deserved it or not. After all, she was still very much in love with him.

While Steph did dream about having children with Mark one day, that was the future, and hopefully for her, not until she was at least 30, with an established career and an established marriage, but now, all of her plans were derailed. The train had officially left the station on a one-way trip straight for Crazyville, and Stephanie, willing or not, was a definite passenger on this runaway train.

Pulling into the driveway of her home, Steph pressed four numbers on the iron gate's steel keypad, allowing herself entrance into the family's sprawling estate.

Although Steph didn't feel pregnant, and she certainly didn't look pregnant to the naked eye, whether it was just mental, from all the nerves running amok inside of her, or physical, with the lemon-sized lump that irrevocably stuck inside her throat, Stephanie _felt_ pregnant, and because of those nerves and that lump that was lodged near her esophagus, she, inexcusably, felt _everyone else_ could somehow _see_ that she was pregnant, too!

What if Vince and Linda saw it —

Sighing, knowing she was worrying herself to death, Steph, exhausted, both mentally and physically, opened and closed the door to the Corvette, leaving all the things she had purchased in town inside the car, pressing the automatic switch on her keys to lock the doors behind her, as she dreadfully walked back inside her home.

Strolling through the patio doors, except for the moonlight casting from the sky into the kitchen, the rest of her home was fairly dark. Turning on a few lights as she went, Steph seemingly made a mad dash for the stairs, attempting to covertly enter the sanctity of her bedroom undetected, until a very familiar voice called out to her from the end of the hallway, from which a pair of double doors rested openly, a blueish television light casting off shadows back onto the hallway.

"Stephanie?" Vince, in a very raspy, almost inaudible voice, called out.

Sighing, gathering what little bit of courage she had left, Steph walked slowly into her parent's room, Vince, sitting in his special therapeutic chair, eyes focused on the television screen as she carefully entered.

Walking around to her father, who was dressed in an expensive looking robe and leather slippers with the initials "V" on the left slipper, and "M" on the right slipper, Steph looked daringly down at her father, asking softly, "Dad, what are you doing up this time of night? It's after midnight and you need your rest. The doctors said so."

Looking up at his daughter slowly, as not to further injure his throat, Vince, wincing as he grunted, speaking in a very grating tone, answered, "Steph, I'm ok. I'm fine. I'm just worried about you, Princess. You just getting in?"

Hearing her father call her "Princess" flooded Stephanie with so many memories, going all the way back to her childhood, to the point where Stephanie didn't even consciously hear Vince's last question. Being Vince's one and only daughter, she was indeed _his_ princess, but right now, with all that was happening in her life right, Stephanie didn't feel like much of a princess, at all; she felt more like a court jester, and soon, the entire world would be laughing right at her.

Reaching out to clasp her father's hand, Stephanie replied sincerely, "Dad, I'm fine. I'm here with you now, Mom, and Shane. Everything is ok again, remember?" Offering her dad a weak smile, which he returned warmly, Stephanie looked around the room curiously, noticing that Linda wasn't lying in bed where'd she normally be at this time of the hour, save if she had an important function to attend or some sort of business up in Stamford.

Looking around once more, Steph noticed that the master bathroom door was also shut and there wasn't light casted from under the floor of the door, either. Knowing that her mother would more than likely have Vince tucked away in bed by now, Steph asked her father gingerly, "Dad, where's Mom?"

Clearing his throat again, taking a sip of his water from a clear drinking glass, Vince swallowed slowly, attempting not to show the pain that was gripping his body on his face, but it was no use. With the damage that Mark and the Ministry had done to his body, it was a fete within itself that Vince was even sitting up right now on his own accord, let alone drinking from a glass. Steph knew this and it killed her inside knowing how the two men she loved the most were at war with each other!

After swallowing sufficiently, Vince stated very plainly, as best as he could, "Your mother is in Stanford, handling some … urgent matters for the company. She'll be back in the morning."

Seeing as it wasn't uncommon for either Vince nor Linda, if not both of them, to commission the jet for the short distance to Stanford to conduct business, or have an all night conference call in Vince's study, with her uncle Pat and Jerry, Steph didn't find herself worrying too much about this. As long as Linda was far away as possible from that nut job Saphirra, she wasn't worried … _but_ she was worried about her father.

Slowly picking up a sandwich that was placed in front of him on a brown rollaway tray, similar to the ones found in hospitals, Vince took a slow, careful bite of the sandwich, attempting to regain the muscle strength in his throat, but obviously, he was having a very hard time doing so.

"Dad, I don't think the doctors advised you to be eating like this … or moving as a matter of fact. Dad, you're still injured. What kind of sandwich is that anyway?"

Clearing his throat once more, taking a sip of water behind it, Vince replied lowly, almost in a grunt, "Peanut butter and jelly."

Suddenly, Stephanie felt as if someone had dropped an anvil into the pit of her stomach! Initially, Steph was about to scold her father for eating something so rich in his physical condition, but instead, she immediately blurted out, almost instantly, "Belly!?"

Clearing his throat again, Vince looked up at Stephanie, who honestly looked as if she was about to bolt from her parent's room with anxiousness, and asked curiously, "What?"

Shaking her head from side to side, knowing she was paranoid beyond comprehension, and no doubt hearing things, Steph, so nervous her hands and arms were shaking, replied within shaky giggles, attempting to hide her pure paranoia, "Oh, nothing, Dad, nothing. I thought you said _pork_ … belly. I thought you said pork … belly sandwich. You shouldn't be eating that."

Offering his daughter a small smile, Vince, almost offering an amused chuckle, stated back calmly, "No, Steph. Just a regular PB&J."

"But, Dad, you shouldn't be eating _that_, either. You should be in bed now. Resting."

"Steph, the only person you should be worried about right now is yourself. Ok? I'm fine. I'm just sitting up, watching some television, alright? But you, Princess, you deserve the rest. So, go get some sleep, alright? Everything is going to be fine. I promise."

Walking over to her father, just as Vince would have undoubtedly done if she were sick, Steph placed a small peck on her father's forehead, before wishing him goodnight, returning to her own room.

After taking a warm shower, getting out, then wrapping herself up in the fluffy pink bathrobe that hung behind the bathroom door, then brushing her hair and her teeth carefully, Steph took a long glimpse of herself in the mirror, very much unsure about the future, before she finally peeled herself away from the glass, crawling into bed.

Sleep. She wanted that badly, to relax her nerves, to ease her mind, but for the rest of the night, all she could do was stare up blankly into the darkness of her bedroom ceiling.

* * *

><p>As the alarm went off once again, showing 10 in the morning, Stephanie, who had only finally drifted off to sleep a mere three hours before, was still exhausted. She hadn't had a good night's sleep at all. All she did was toss and turn, her dreams all centered around Mark. How one minute he seemed to be this dark angel to her, and the next, he was nothing more than Satan's Messiah.<p>

Knowing that Gracie was no doubt going to be waking her up in mere minutes, Stephanie slowly crept out of bed, giving her body a nice long stretch, before walking over to the wall mirror that was positioned on the inside her closet door.

Turning from left to right, attempting to see if she could detect even the smallest hint of a baby bump, Steph viewed herself from all angles, attempting to make absolutely certain that no one could see just what was growing inside of her.

Of course, she couldn't; only she and Julie knew of her pregnancy status at this point, however, she was still very fearful. It then dawned on Steph that she had to begin her prenatal vitamin regimen today, but since she had left all of her things inside of her car last night, Steph figured while everyone was seemingly busy with their own lives today, she'd sneak back out to get the prescriptions filled, but of course, she had to hide them. If anyone found out she was taking prenatal vitamins …

"Stephanie? Stephanie, are you in there?"

Jumping, the sudden knocks on the door startling her intensely, Stephanie, having her thoughts once again interrupted, yelled back at Gracie through the door, "Already up, Gracie. Just … just brushing my teeth."

"Ok, Ms. Stephanie," the housekeeper called back at her through the door. "Your mother is back home and she wants to see you."

Exhaling, attempting to regain her breath, Steph answered one last time, "Ok. I'll be right there."

Hearing Gracie's footsteps fade away as she proceeded back down the hallway, Stephanie attempted to regain her composure, but she couldn't figure out what exactly was wrong with her. Sure, she was pregnant, and yes, she was nervous, horrified that someone would find out, but she was never this nervous in Mark's company.

In fact, the only time she had ever found herself afraid in his presence was in the very beginning, but even that soon left. Now, she seemed to jump and rattle at every sound that was made other than her own. She was even talking to herself now, and saying things out loud like "belly". That couldn't be good for her psyche, and with her carrying a life inside of her, not very good for the baby, either.

_"The baby …"_

And that's when it hit her all over again. Stephanie McMahon, age twenty-two, was pregnant.

Pregnant by Mark Calaway! The Undertaker. The supposed "conscious" of the WWF…

Knowing that this line of thinking was going to get her absolutely nowhere, and that she'd most likely upset herself all over again, Stephanie pushed herself to walk to the bathroom, where she brushed her hair and her teeth again, before going downstairs to have breakfast with her family.

Once downstairs, Stephanie smelled the wonderful fragrance of homemade jam and freshly squeezed orange juice, her stomach immediately beginning to growl at the fresh aroma.

Sitting at the table right in front of Linda and her father, who was now back to drinking liquids, Stephanie asked Gracie to prepare her a simple bowl of bran cereal, decorated with fresh berries, toast, with a hint of fresh jam, and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Linda, noticing Steph's well-deserved appetite, asked politely from across the table, "Long day yesterday?"

Smiling, attempting to have a conversation as normal as possible, Steph replied nonchalantly, "Yeah. I, uh, did some shopping yesterday. Met up with Samantha and the rest of the girls. We, um, had plans to fly up to New York, but her dad wouldn't let her get the jet, so…"

Nodding, glad to see her daughter attempting to regain her normal lifestyle back, Linda replied, "Well, I'm glad you had fun. That's exactly what you need, dear. Seems as though Samantha should be actually _working_ in order to gain access to her father's company jet, but, I guess that's neither here nor there."

Almost choking on her cereal from the somewhat barbaric notion that her ex-friend would ever work a day in her life, Steph said between choking coughs, "Mom, Samantha McCall, heir to Rockefeller and the Vanderbilt estates … _work_?"

"Yes, Stephanie," Linda said, looking around the room as if she had said something wrong. "Work. That _is_ what you do in this country if you want to earn a living. Honestly," Linda scoffed in disgust, continuing her small diatribe. "You don't just rest on your laurels. You work hard early in life so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor when you're ready to retire. You know that. That is how this family has always been, and no doubt, will always stay"

Knowing that Linda was as much as a advocate for hard work as he was, Vince finally chimed, in with raspiness in his voice, saying, "Well, we don't have to worry about that with our Stephanie. She has what it takes to make it in this industry."

"I don't know, Vince," Linda warned nervously, as Stephanie's eyes glanced back and forth between her parents, feeling the intensity of their conversation about to pick up. "I don't know if that's still a good idea, especially when you consider all of what Mark has done to this family as a whole."

Looking towards his daughter, who was now not even eating, just listening to the conversation that her parents were having, Vince acknowledged, "Linda, Stephanie has proven herself to have an eye and a passion for this business, and I'm sure with a little grooming, a little polishing, our baby girl will always do what's _best_ for business," finally resting his attention solely onto his daughter, who honestly didn't know what Vince was aiming at.

_"What does he mean, 'best for business?'" _Stephanie wondered within herself?

Attempting to redirect the conversation, Stephanie, rightfully anxious again now, cleared her own throat and said, "And … yeah … Mom, I forgot. I bought you something for Mother's Day, and thanks for … you know … buying me another teddy bear."

"Stephanie, you didn't have to do that, but I can not wait to see what you've gotten me. Now what did you say about a teddy bear?"

Confused, Steph said, "You know … the one that's in my room. Mark … did … you know … to … and when I came back home, it was in my room … on my dresser … between some awards and stuff. That was sweet of you, Mom. You didn't have to get me another teddy."

Shaking her head lightly, then reaching out her hand to grab the jar of jam, Linda casually replied, "Steph, I didn't buy you another teddy bear. Are you sure that it just wasn't there all along and you're just now realizing it?"

"I mean, are you sure … I mean, Dad … did you?" Stephanie asked bewildered, as Gracie lightly sat her breakfast down in front of her.

"As a matter of fact, I didn't. Kinda wish I did now that I think about it. After all you've been through, would've been a nice welcome home present."

"That reminds me," Linda said suddenly, while Stephanie stared blankly at her bowl of cereal, now too sick now to even take a bite of her early morning meal. "I think with all that we've endured as a family over the past few months, that it would be nice if we could all get away for a while, maybe on a family trip. Maybe somewhere international.

"Steph," Linda said, looking over at her daughter, breaking Stephanie's bothersome thought process, "You've always wanted to go to Italy. Your father and I have traveled there on numerous occasions, Shane I even think, on one of the international trips for the company, and I think that it would be great if we took a family vacation there. No business, no Mark, no worries. Just us as a family. What do you think?"

Offering a weak smile, while spooning her cereal unenthusiastically, Steph replied softly, almost inaudibly, "Sure, Mom. I think that would … that's an awesome idea," looking up at the end, nodding her approval, even though the thought of going on a trip with her family, as fun as that sounded, was now the absolute last thing on her mind.

"And Steph," Vince, resting his open play on Stephanie's, with his daughter giving him her full attention, said, within coughs, attempting to sound as earnest as possible.

"I can't say this enough about you, Princess, but _you_ have a mind for this business. And as I keep preaching, with just the right amount of polishing, I believe that one day, you and your brother will be able to take this company to brand new heights. We're all _family_, Stephanie. We all stick together. Remember that."

Watching Vince pick up his glass and sip from it lightly, Stephanie couldn't help but to stare back at her father, wide-eyed, completely blank about everyone and everything.

* * *

><p><em>DING, DONG, DING DONG! DING, DONG, DING, DONG!<em>

Pulling himself up from his favorite leather Lay-Z-Boy chair, Mark, tired, worn out, and beat the hell up, slowly dragged himself to the door with the ringing bell, both Zeus and April following slowly behind him, April, a constant reminder of what used to be.

Since both Stephanie and Mark had mutually agreed for Stephanie to return back home to Greenwich, to say Mark was down in the dumps was an understatement.

On top of having to explain her absence to the rest of the Ministry as some fake plan the now former couple had seemingly concocted together, just in order to work Vince even further before Monday's show, on said show, he was pinned to his own symbol!

Of course, he was savvy enough to always turn a negative into a positive, but Austin's display on Monday put him one step ahead in their heated rivalry, and if it's one thing that he couldn't afford to lose, on top of losing Stephanie, was the World Wrestling Federation Championship.

True, Mark could have treated Stephanie a lot better than he originally did when he had her, he could have been more open and honest about different things with her, but that wasn't in his nature, and to him, she could have at least respected or attempted to understand that.

Did he regret what he did to Vince and Shane? Absolutely not. They had it coming to from the moment they signed Kane onto the roster, along with a host of other reasons.

From Vince manipulating various opportunities of him becoming WWF Champion the year prior, to basing the entire company around Stone Cold Steve Austin, with their never ending, and quite nauseating, rivalry, as if Mark hadn't been there for the very first episode of Raw, Vince and Shane always had a prolonged beatdown coming their way.

To Mark, Vince and Shane didn't respect him, didn't respect his hard work as a talent, with him busting his ass in the very first Hell in a Cell, Casket, Buried Alive, and Inferno Matches, all just to make them richer. It was as Vince and Shane had suddenly forgotten that Mark was a huge part of what made Raw must see TV week in and week out.

So in his mind, if he could do what he did to both Vince and Shane, and maybe a Pat Patterson and Jerry Briscoe while he was at it, Mark would absolutely do what he had done all over again. His time was now, and he'd be damned if Vince, Shane, Stone Cold Steve Austin, or anybody else for that matter, were going to stand in his way of being _the man_ in this industry.

As Mark walked to the door, the bell ringing excessively, he went back to thinking about how Stephanie was just so unappreciative of him.

Even though the road they had taken to actually becoming Mr. and Mrs. Calaway was rocky, Mark is the only one who truly showed Stephanie how to live her life own her own terms, how to break free of Vince's mental reign, how to let her hair down, how to forget about all the Greenwich snobbery that came with growing up in polite society; showed her how to have fun, how to feel and be liberated, and moving back to Connecticut was the thanks he got?

"Ungrateful bitch," Mark muttered as he stammered to the door dreadfully, his long hair galloping in the wind behind him, while a black Hell's Angels hat rested comfortably on the rest of his head.

Walking to the door, the person on the other side of the it knocking heavily now, Mark, irritated with all the issues plaguing his life at the moment, reached out with his right arm, flinging the wooden door wide open as if it were a piece of paper, damn near screaming, "What!" at the two individuals who were standing on the other side of the door, Zeus seemingly ready to pounce, while April simply sat back on her hind legs, looking up at the two gentlemen before Mark innocently.

The two men, one white, with a blonde army buzzcut, the other gentleman African American, with a low cut air-fro, both wearing sky blue collard shirts, with the logo, "Comp Town, USA", stitched into them, looked at each other as if they had honestly seen a ghost.

To the average person, Mark was huge. The looks he got while going through the airport were almost as if he were some side circus freak, as he more than likely intimidated nearly everyone he came in contact with, and for these two gentlemen, their endoskeletons were rattling profusely.

The black guy, who's name was printed "Trent" on the left side of his shirt, nudged "Justin" pointedly in the ribcage, urging him to say something … _anything_ … as he was almost certain, with the mug that Mark was wearing, he'd more than likely jump off the doorstep and begin attacking them right then and there in the front yard!

"Um … we're … um … looking for a Mr. Calaway. We're here to … to … install the new home computer system … sir."

Although Mark was agitated beyond belief, the sight of the two computer geeks outside of his home reminded him of Stephanie all over again, as she was the one who was always encouraging Mark, at least when she was here, to embrace technology.

As it stood, Mark had some bulky cell phone, the kind that had a super long antenna, and the door to the buttons flipped out at the bottom, along with a black beeper a salesperson Joanie hooked him up with.

He had owned both pieces of equipment for a little over 3 years now, but Stephanie, before she left, was slowly convincing him to upgrade to the latest model of cell phone and to ditch the pager all together.

She wanted Mark to be with the New Millennium as much as possible, and with the WWF having Raw after shows, _Byte This_, being held exclusively over the Internet, and with all the superstars and Divas being outfitted with their very own websites, which Mark was none too pleased about, he literally didn't have any choice, other than flat out refusing to adapt, to not join this new World Wide Web culture, hence the reason why the two jerkoffs for Comp Town, USA were here at his home, bright and early, on a morning where he needed as much rest he could get, to install his new computer, with the Internet.

"Um … Mr. Calaway .. um … where would you … um … sir … if you don't mind …" stumbled Justin, as Trent stayed as far back as possible, looking as if he was about to bolt for their work van as soon as Mark made a wrong move.

"The den. It's straight to the back by the kitchen. You can't miss it."

As Justin nodded nervously, and Trent followed behind him warily, Mark, all of the sudden, stuck a treelike arm over Trent's shoulder, stopping him dead in his tracks, giving him a warning as deadly as he looked right now.

"Don't go beyond the den, you understand me? Don't touch nothing, don't break nothing. If you gotta pee, you better hold it. I want you in and I want you out. You got that?"

Trent, who honestly looked like he had just seen a ghost, rambled along with his words, "Yeah … yeah … yeah … man … Mr. Calaway, no problem," before almost tripping over his own feet, trying to get away from him as quickly as possible.

Walking back to the open doorway, Mark veered out into the country, surveying the rolling scenery. Even though it was only a little after 10 in the morning, it was hot out.

Normally on a day like this, Mark would ride his bike throughout the countryside, to ease his troubled thoughts, to make plans for the next show, but he obviously didn't feel like that today. Not without Stephanie on the back of his bike, her arms intertwined tightly around him, her soft breathing enamoring his neck.

With no Stephanie, no trace of her sweet scent lingering around the house, and no one, save April, to remind him of her, Mark, studying his peaceful surroundings intently, muffled out, "Fuck it," as he stormed back into the house. He needed to take his mind off his troubles, and a good bike ride never hurt anything.

Walking into the den, as "Cornball #1" and "Cornball #2", two names he had given Justin and Trent for the moment, surveyed the room, determining just where they were going to start with the installation, Mark barked out, almost scaring both men into shattered pieces, "Hey! I'm gonna take me a little ride real quick. I'll be back in 20 minutes. Can I trust the two of you here in my house and not fuck up anything?"

Both men, surprised by Mark's sheer bravado, looked at each other nervously, before Justin this time nudged Trent to speak up on their behalf. "Sure … Mr … Mr. Calaway, that's part of the Comp Town, USA guarantee and promise, sir. You see …"

"Hey," Mark waved his hand in front of Trent, shushing him immediately. He was in a bad mood today, and if he could, he would let the entire world know it, and since he couldn't at the moment, Mark just decided that he'd take some of his nagging frustrations out on the two workers. "I don't give a damn about all that, you understand me? Just don't touch nothing except what's in this room. Same rules apply that I told you about outside."

Reaching down to pat Zeus' head lovingly, who returned his master's embrace lovingly, Mark warned, "This here is Zeus. Zeus doesn't trust nobody, and he damn sure can sniff a thief out from a mile away. I'm gonna leave Zeus here. I'm sure that'll be just fine by you boys, right?"

Simply nodding this time, not even attempting to communicate with him, Mark stormed out of the den, leaving the Mastiff alone with the two bewildered employees. As he was about to go upstairs to retrieve his wallet and keys, he heard the faint, yet highly irritable barking of April, and it bothered him instantly.

For one, April never barked. She was honestly just now learning how to bark like the growing dog that she was, and before that, she merely only growled little cute squeaking noises whenever Zeus or Steph would play around with her, but she never outright barked at anything. Normally, Mark would just ignore her and go on about his business, but since this was a first, he decided to follow to where her barks were coming from.

Turning out to be outside on the doorstep, April, who was still sitting on her hind legs, simply barked up at the sky. Looking around in the trees, Mark noted that several birds were resting, chirping from the hanging tree limbs above, but other than that, Mark couldn't imagine what had April so worked up.

Then, as if something had suddenly spooked her, April ran in the same direction as the Comp Town, USA van. Following behind her, curious as to what exactly had April in such a tizzy, Mark slowly followed behind her, burying his fists is a black pair of warmup pants, nothing but a wife beater covering his upper body.

The Comp Town, USA van, in fact, proved to be so large in size, that it actually blocked out the yellow cab that had apparently pulled into Mark's driveway behind it. Inside, a middle-aged, slightly overweight man, wearing a black hat turned around backwards, exposing the brim, who was apparently suffering from male pattern baldness, but with a ponytail coming out of a rubber band in the back, sat in the front seat nonchalantly.

Mark, once again, agitated that he was being interrupted, this time from his meditating bike run, walked over the to the passenger door, leaning through the rolled down window, with a look on his face that would frighten the daylights out of any normal human being. April, slowly following behind him, sitting at his feet once he leaned himself comfortably through the window, said as nicely as possibly, "You mind telling me why the hell you and your cab are parked here on private property?"

The cab driver, who didn't bother even looking at Mark, something he himself considered a carnal offense, eating pistachios from a Ziplock bag, slowly turned his head to the right, sucking his teeth as he did such, before finally raising a finger to point to behind Mark.

And there she stood …


	62. Fifty Shades of Mark

Mark, squinting his eyes, with a glare that could scare small animals and children, could not honestly believe what … _who_ … he was seeing right now.

In his own yard, standing right in front of him, casually dressed in a plum-colored blouse, plain jeans, which more than likely cost as much as his pickup, and a pair of low cute brown boots, was Stephanie. _His_ Stephanie .. well, up until a week ago, that is.

Her mousy brown hair was straightened from the wild curls she had once gained in his care. She also was carrying two large duffle bags with her, which were near her feet on the grass floor.

With both Mark and Stephanie both eyeing each other with two very different looks of intent, Mark's light green eyes burning a deep crimson of emotions, while Stephanie's blue baubles threatening to burst into tears at any moment, the cab driver interrupted the death stare battle the two seemed to be engaged in, tapping hard on the hood of his taxi.

In a very New Jersey-like accent, the cabbie, dressed in a faded gray Nets t-shirt, yelled over the bright yellow vehicle, "Aye, princess! That'll be $64.60! The meter's still running, so I'm cutting ya a break here."

Stephanie, who still regarded Mark carefully, not knowing if he was going to merely stand there or jump out and attack her, slowly pulled the strap of the purse down from her shoulder a bit, in an attempt to pay the obviously irritated driver, who was absolutely in no mood to watch a real life soap opera play out in front of him.

As soon as Stephanie was about to reach into her purse in order to pay the driver, Mark, with the quickness of a cat, the same quickness that Steph, no matter how hard she tried, just couldn't get used to, reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her from retrieving her wallet.

_"I knew it, I knew it,"_ Steph thought frantically to herself, semi-panicking on the inside. _"He doesn't want you here! Why don't you just save yourself the humiliation and go on back home?"_

Looking up at her husband, with glistening tears on the brink of spilling onto her naked face, Mark, without any warning whatsoever, reached inside his pants pocket and took out 4 brand new $20 dollar bills stuffed inside of a money clip.

Although Mark didn't have his wallet on him, he always lived by the rule that a man were to keep cash on him at all times. Counting out 4 twenties, Mark literally flung the money across the roof of the car, the loose bills threatening to scatter with the wind, had the cabby's hands not been fast enough.

Counting the money quickly, and then looking up at Mark with an obvious attitude, Mark grunted coldly to the driver, "Now get lost," before turning back around to address Stephanie, with green eyes that looked as if they could barbecue whole cattle easily they burned so wildly.

The cabby, in that Jersey accent of his again, once in the safety of his loud colored vehicle, obviously not to be outdone by anyone, after all, he was a New Yorker, screamed back at Mark before peeling off through the driveway, "Hey, well up yours too, pal!"

Under normal circumstances, Mark, especially in the mood he was in, after having the woman who had left him literally show back up on his doorstep, would have returned the verbal banter, but he was in no mood at the moment. All he could think about at the present was the woman he had married, who had left him, all because of some stupid commitment issues to some odd four letter word, was now back at the couple's one-time residence … and he wasn't happy at all.

April on the other hand couldn't have be any more ecstatic to have her mommy back at home.

Every time someone would walk through the front door, there was April, waiting patiently for Stephanie on the other side. Problem was, with each person that came in who wasn't her, Mark could see the hurt in the young pup's eyes, and for her to still be so young, April had formed a very strong bond to Stephanie.

Even Zeus yearned for Stephanie's rubs to the tummy, and he didn't like anyone, save for Mark and Paul. He even chased Bradshaw clean into the kitchen from the living room once, all because he wasn't Mark.

So yes, even their four legged best friends had come to love Stephanie, and Mark did too, but he didn't understand why he had to shout it at the top of the highest damn mountain. Mark wasn't a man of feelings. His actions always spoke louder than words, and he felt that Stephanie all people should understand that.

Looking into his wife's almond colored eyes, Mark realized that Stephanie's innocent glare, the one she was wearing now, is the same look that initially drew him in to her, what made him want to plant himself inside of her, but right now, all he wanted was to do was get away from her; he desperately needed the separation.

_"Just what in the hell is she doing here?"_ Mark pondered inwardly.

As April, who had grown significantly over the past week, clawed vigorously up at Stephanie's leg, before she could even bend over and greet the puppy whom she had named, Mark bowed over and picked up April instead, and, with one hard look, walked casually back into the house, leaving Stephanie standing there alone.

There were a million different thoughts running through Stephanie's mind, mainly, after all that Mark had put her through, from the abduction, to assaulting her brother and father, and having Saphirra, although he had vehemently denied involvement, assault Linda at No Mercy UK, Steph, still standing outside, all alone, wondered herself, _"Just why am I back?"_

And she knew the answer immediately as she said it in her mind. She knew it from the moment she began packing her bags to move back to Houston, when she realized that it was Mark who had somehow replaced her teddy bear in her room. It was because she loved him. Because she was madly in love with this man, and she wanted Mark back desperately. And even though Mark was seemingly incapable of repeating those three little words back to her, at this moment, she was willing to take anything he was willing to give, even if it wasn't those three magical words.

_"That's if he even wants me back!"_

That's when Steph realized that she was standing outside of his house … _their_ house … blankly staring into space, while Mark was back inside doing God knows what. Realizing she was wasting time, Stephanie nearly jogged into their home, the welcoming scent of familiarity inviting her back in, almost as if she never left.

Knowing that Mark had likely gone upstairs to the bedroom, Stephanie walked up the flight of stairs steadily. From the looks on Mark's face alone, from standing outside with him for only those brief … and very tense … moments, she knew he was pissed, and in a way, he deserved to be, however, didn't they make the decision for her to return back to Greenwich mutually? Plus, Steph really didn't want to argue. It wouldn't be good for the baby …

As Steph reached the end of the hallway, one of the doors to the master bedroom stood slightly ajar, and once she pushed her way through, only on slight will and mental strength alone, there stood a shirtless Mark Calaway, but as she knew it, he didn't look to be in the talking mood, as he dug quickly around the room, looking for another shirt to dress himself in.

In fact, the bedroom was an absolute mess, with clothes, shoes, and everything else in between littered around the floor. If it was one thing Stephanie hated, woman or no, was a messy room, but this definitely wasn't the time to pick a fight about cleanliness. If she was going to get her man back, which she had every right to, she had to say something and say something quick.

_"Here goes nothing …"_

"Mark. Mark, baby, please … speak to me." Mark, as she knew he would, completely ignored her, as he frantically continued his search for a decent shirt.

_"Man, I knew this wasn't going to be easy, but …"_

Suddenly, Steph noticed the faint tapping sounds coming from the bottom of the closed bathroom door, and the slight whimpers from a puppy, and she knew instantly who the whimpers were coming from. As Stephanie, appalled that Mark would seemingly lock an innocent April in the bathroom, just to spite her, walked towards the bathroom door, very upset now about how Mark was even taking his frustrations out on his pet animals, his huge and menacing frame stopped her dead in her tracks, the gaze from his passionate … and quite scary … eyes, casting a hole down upon her.

Steph honestly didn't know what to do. She knew he was mad, but not speaking to her, locking their puppy in the master bathroom, and now stalking her …

_"Oh, shit! He's stalking me …!"_

Steph couldn't even manage to get her thoughts straight Mark had descended upon her so fast. She had seen his speed, felt it, sometimes unfortunately, for herself, and it never seemed to get old. _"How does he do this?"_

But there was no time for internal small talk. As the back of Stephanie's knees hit the footboard, causing her to lose her balance, falling backwards over into bed, landing awkwardly on the comfortable Serta mattress, Steph, looking up at what seemed to be the gates of hell, only managed to get out "Please … Mark … I", before he pounced on her, grabbing her wrists and yanking them to each side of her head, pinning her there, her mousy brown hair spilled all across the bed, her eyes widened with fear and anticipation.

After weeks of living with Mark, Steph had finally conquered the once internal fear she had for this man … but that definitely didn't stop her from being afraid of his actions, and what he may or may not do to her at this very moment.

Breathing heavily, as Mark continued to pin her down by the wrists, his lower body straddling the lower half of her's, a cold, "'Mark', what?" escaped his thin-lined lips, the tone as if he were cutting some demonic promo. This was also the first time Stephanie could recall Mark referring to himself by his actual birth name, but that was the last of her problems at the moment.

There was a 325-pound uncaged animal pinning her down to their bed, and she had no Earthly idea on how to convincingly escape its grasp.

Steph once again felt Mark's wrath when he literally began shaking her, as if she were a rag doll, unsatisfied how she was taking so long to answer what she could've sworn was a rhetorical question. "Answer me, Stephanie!" Mark growled, fury in his voice making it painstakingly obvious how pissed he was at the moment. "'Mark', what"? Finish your thought, _Stephanie_!"

Steph loved Mark, sure, but she hated when he was mad like this, and now, he was mad like this at her, and that's something she definitely didn't miss while back in Greenwich. And she couldn't think of anything to say!

As Mark leaned down upon her even more, as if he were going to kiss her, or something even more sinister if put his mind to it, there came a sudden knock at the door. Both jerking their heads to the left of the room, there stood the one black guy — Trent — between the space separating the bedroom from the hallway, since Steph had purposely negated to close it behind her.

Holding a clipboard to his chest, Trent, from just plain fear, and the rigor mortis like look Mark was now beaming right at the young man, it's a wonder he managed to keep his balance. Steph would've easily bolted had she the opportunity to, but as it stood, since she was still pinned down onto the bed, despite the presence of some guy in a blue shirt with a logo from Comp Town, USA embroidered into it, that wasn't nearly remotely possible.

"Mr. … Mr. … Mr … Calaway, s-s-s-s-sir, we need you t-t-t-to …", Trent stumbled nervously, pointing to a brown clipboard with paperwork attached to it, which Mark were to obviously sign.

Nearly leaping from the bed, Mark stalked to Trent, who also paced nervously backwards, until he was completely in the hallway, backed against the nearest wall.

Looking up from the completely open doorway now, Stephanie saw Mark, with one hand, literally grab Trent around the collar, ushering him down the hall! Steph, leaping up and quickly opening the door to the bathroom, which April sprung out from, bent down to pick her girl right up, who was licking her profusely across the face, the licks showing Stephanie just how much she was missed to the young pup. Gathering April up, Steph almost ran down the hallway and down the steps, just in order to find out what Mark was planning to do to the young man.

Once downstairs, Mark, and the other technician, Justin, were standing outside the doorway, the bag with their tools slung across the bottom of the entranceway, clearly in a haste, with both men clearly looking quite flustered at what had just occurred. Justin, in utter terror, managed to get out, "But Mr. … Mr. … Mr. … Calaway, sir, we haven't finished the installation of your new computer system, sir."

Mark, not looking up at either gentlemen, instead scribbling his signature across the bottom of the sheet on the clipboard, throwing it to Justin when he finished, barked out quietly, in that once again near death-like tone, "Install it later," and without warning, he slammed the wooden door right in their faces, both men on the other side, although relieved, still quite terrified about what they had just endured, Stephanie standing behind Mark, just as bewildered as the computer guys.

Turning around slowly to face his wife, Mark, folding his heavily tattooed arms into each other, leaning back on his heels, shirtless, stared a blank look of nothing right back at Stephanie, who was visibly unnerved at what had just transpired. He had stalked her, locked April in their bathroom, pinned her down to the bed, and had just physically removed two grown men from his home!

_"What next is he capable of?"_ Stephanie wondered to herself.

Knowing that there was a good chance that he just might stare a hole straight into another dimension right through her, Mark, very dark and calculated, asked lowly, "What are you doing here, Stephanie?"

Clearing her throat, attempting to sound as convincing as possible, with April licking about her heels, Steph nervously mumbled out, "You told me that when I wanted to come back, that'd you'd welcome me."

Sucking his teeth, nodding, only now noticing that April had escaped the confines of the bathroom, Mark replied once more, "That was before, Stephanie. This, this is now."

Feeling her heart sink from the inside of her chest into the bottom of her feet, Steph could not honestly believe what she was hearing. Mark was promised — _promised_ — that she could come back home once she had sufficiently cleared her head. It wasn't as if she and Mark didn't both need the break, either, but now, he was refusing her?

Unable to comprehend just what Mark was telling her, Steph, making the lip movements of a fish out of water she was so speechless, cast her eyes upon the floor, feeling defeated, as Mark circled around her, attempting to make his way back up the stairs.

_"He doesn't want you! Just call another cab to take you back to Greenwich. His mind is made up."_

But Steph knew that the last bit, about Mark's mind potentially being made up, was an absolute lie. Under all his burning anger, Steph knew that Mark loved her, albeit he wouldn't say it to her, but she knew that deep down he wanted her back just as much as she wanted him back.

The junk splattered around their bedroom floor told her as much. But what was she to do? Was she to force herself onto him? Surely that wouldn't end well. However, on the other hand, if she just stood her, like she was doing now, she'd never get her man back, and she'd back in Greenwich in a couple of hours.

This was her last chance. If she was going to do something, she had to do it and she had to do it now. Invoking the spirit of her inner Vince McMahon, and even Shane to an extent, Stephanie marched up the stairs behind Mark, grabbing him about his upper arm, and almost forcefully turned him around to meet her mid-stride.

_"It's now or never, McMahon."_

Looking down at Stephanie's small frame, in almost shock, before he could even ask her just what in the hell it was that she thought she was doing, Stephanie beat him to the punch. "Mark, just who the hell do you think you are?"

Steph could tell, the way Mark's eyes lit up with sheer disbelief, that she was beginning to somewhat reach him now. Not to let this moment pass her by, she needed to seize literally every second, Stephanie followed with, "Do you know who the hell you're talking to? Oh, oh, so now you don't want me? Is that it, _Mark_, huh?"

Feeling she was pushing a bit, especially the way Mark's eyes had now dimmed, how his jaw had clenched on one side, and how his stance completely changed from mid-stride up-step to one of a man who was about to have some sort of confrontation, Stephanie, honestly upset, as well, adrenaline and blood rushing though her veins with heavy RPM, just blurted out the first thing that came next in her mind.

"Oh, so now you've replaced me, is that it? I mean, Mark, who was it this time, huh? Was it Jenny? No, no, no wait, Becky? No, no, even better, even better, the brunette _bimbo _from Brooklyn_, Lexi_?"

Steph's last word was a direct imitation of the still haunting Brooklyn accent that she had to cater to all the weeks ago. If she could still manage to murder that girl without anyone finding out …

But there were definitely more pertinent matters at hand, mainly the fact that Stephanie had just called Mark out on literally being a man-whore! And no, he wasn't pleased, either, but she did what she needed to do, so Stephanie, finding that bass and depth in her voice, that seemed to intimidate even Saphirra, verbally marched on.

"I don't know if you know this or not, Mark, Taker, Deadman, whatever it is the hell you want to call yourself these days, but in case you didn't know, in case you hadn't realized, we're _married_, and if you think that you're going to get rid of me that quickly …" pausing, smiling now even, albeit a little bit demonically, that she had picked up from the various influences surrounding her each on an everyday basis, Stephanie, pressing an index finger to her lip, as if she were in some sort of deep thought, said finally, "You know what, you're right. Have a nice life." And with that, Stephanie turned her deep smile into a look of anger, staring Mark directly into his eyes, before attempting to make a mad dash back down the stairs.

Keyword: attempt.

Like she knew he would, like a moth to a flame almost, Mark reached out and grabbed Stephanie, forcefully twirling her back around to look at him face to face, his expression telling the story of a very pissed off man, but Stephanie didn't care. If she needed to make him so upset that he'd have to realize that he was making a huge mistake by not working things out with her, then so be it.

But much like Stephanie, the opposite happened as far as mood was concerned.

There he was, ready to literally toss the two Comp Town guys out onto the front lawn by their collared shirts just mere moments ago, but now, he was smiling? And Mark, with the very rare exception, never smiled. It was the same smile he gave Austin when he first gave him a concussion after that shovel incident back in November of last year. And if that was any indication, that smile only meant one thing: trouble.

Nervous now, however, attempting not to let her defiant stance waver, Steph continued to stare into his gorgeous green eyes, the green eyes that she had fallen in love with. Leaning his head down upon hers some, so she could hear every single word, Mark, growling like a cat in the wild, muttered, "You know what, Stephanie?", and whether the question was meant to be answered or not, Stephanie didn't have time to find out, as Mark finished before she could even truly comprehend what he saying to her, "You. Are. Mines."

And with that, grabbing her about the waist, Mark literally manhandled Stephanie, throwing her over his shoulder, and walked back up the flight of stairs with her, Stephanie, not knowing what truly had just happened, since it had transpired so fast, began kicking and pounding on Mark's back with closed fists, doing everything in her power to wriggle free from his death grip, but all she got was a huge paw to the behind instead, causing her to yell out in pain, her backside burning with unforgiving tingles, a true discomfort Steph had once hoped she'd never have to feel again.

Once inside the bedroom, Mark kicked the door shut, shutting April out into the hallway, before he completely dumped her over the bed. Furious at how Mark was treating her, Stephanie attempted to jump up from the mattress, wanting to leap on and tear Mark to shreds, however, per usual, he was on her before she knew it yet again, pinning her arms down to her head once more. Her breath ragged, her chest falling up and down rapidly, Steph, arms immobilized by the huge hands of Mark Calaway, looked up at her husband with a deep ire, but all Mark seemed to do was smirk back at her, which was never a good thing.

Maneuvering her hands into his, easily holding both of her dainty wrists into his one left hand, Mark, with his right hand, slowly traced up the inner parts of the jeans Stephanie was wearing, and without warning, cupped her vagina right through the fabric, a sudden heartbeat like pulse finding its way there, instantly turning her own, but she couldn't let Mark know it. Besides, the yelp she let out from move was involuntary, as she was currently more concerned about Mark's next move more so her sex.

Readily anticipating Mark's next move in direction, Steph attempted to watch Mark's hand carefully, but with his speed, that was obviously easier said than done. As his hand slowly left the most inner part of Stephanie's thighs, Mark's hand then slowly began tracing itself up the side of her waist, creeping painstakingly slow up the right side of her abdomen, where he carefully traced the lining of her breasts through her blouse, with Stephanie truly not knowing whether to laugh or cry at his sudden change in mood; it was almost as if he were lustful now.

Growling again, like a caged animal, Mark, still holding Stephanie's hands, slowly traced his hands back down her body, slowly back down her stomach, reaching the fly of her jeans, unbuttoning the top of them, and without warning, suddenly yanking the zipper down with a forceful motion, Stephanie feeling the zipper break from the velocity of it all.

Not knowing what to say or do, Stephanie, without the use of her hands, somehow managed to settle her breaths to slow, rhythmic bursts, staring up at her husband, who continued to stare right down at her, as Mark's hand slowly began creeping into the inner lining of her panties, until he found exactly what he was looking for.

Biting her lip now, from both a mixture of fear and wicked suspense, Stephanie felt Mark's finger slowly slip down … down there, through the lips of her vagina, as her body once again betrayed her. Leaning up over her a bit more, Mark, with his face adjacent to her's, breathed through his nostrils onto Stephanie's neck, as she writhed beneath him, making a somewhat pathetic attempt at escape.

Looking quite devilish, and rather amused at Stephanie's conscience playing seesaw with her heart and her emotions, Mark, almost as if he were a vampire, made a dash to Stephanie's neck with his lips, biting at the tender flesh, flesh that smelled of so wonderful to him, sucking rather roughly, hoping to bruise the delicate skin beneath, right at the very same moment that his index and middle fingers plunged into Stephanie's awaiting body, Steph yelling out at both occurrences happening simultaneously.

"Shit, Mark, …" Stephanie managed, as the smell of her sex quickly lifted the room in wanton heat. With his fingers dancing inside Stephanie's wet and moist center, Mark slowly began grinding himself into her, his manhood rising with little effort, as he continued to torture the side of Stephanie's neck. With her hands now free, she absentmindedly began rubbing and scratching up and down's Mark's back, wanting to feel the man she had longed to touch again for so long, but the feeling was short lived, as Mark, without warning again, left the inside of Stephanie's pounding base, causing her to moan out in the process. Grabbing her hands again, Mark placed them back over her head, his fingers tainted with the white and creamy substance which indicated Stephanie's arousal.

Panting hard, Steph watched as Mark leaned down onto her again, nose to nose, and said rather roughly, "_You_ don't get to touch me. Keep your hands right here."

And with that, Mark slowly crept down her body with his, almost in a snake like rhythm, pulling her now useless jeans down with him, yanking them off roughly, her brown ankle boots dropping down to the floor, leaving her barefooted and in her panties, Steph's face a beaten bright red. It's like she didn't know what she wanted. She for sure wanted Mark, but where was he going with all of this anyway?

Pulling down the waistband of his athletic pants a bit, exposing his sculpted waist, Mark slowly began to shake his head, making "Tsk, tsk, tsk," like sounds with his mouth, apparently disappointed in something. Stephanie, feeling rather embarrassed at the moment, as if Mark hadn't seen her naked countless times, suddenly placed her hands over her breasts, lifting her upper body up some, just to find out the reason behind Mark's latest reaction.

"Mark … baby … what's wrong?"

Placing one hand on his chin now, Mark began shaking his head even more, and just like before, pushed Stephanie's arms down back onto either side of her head, her body falling back automatically, as well.

Getting off the bed now, Mark walked over to a the adjacent nightstand, where he picked up a lone bottle of water he had lying around from earlier in the day, and drank from it, swallowing the entire contaminants from the bottle. Staring down at Stephanie, then throwing the bottle across the room, making Stephanie jump a bit from the noise, Mark, having fun with the nervous, yet horny Stephanie, sat down on the bed once again, this time, sitting on the back of his legs, spreading Stephanie's, as well, making her yelp out again.

With a full frontal view of Stephanie's vagina, only covered in a easy to remove piece of fabric, Mark, with a dancing gleam in his eye, suddenly slapped Stephanie's soaking wet crouch within her panties, Steph arching her back from the violent sensation of the mild blow, her brain automatically closing her legs, attempting to shield her from another potential blow. But it was a wonderful blow, one that had Steph honestly longing for another.

Having Mark forcefully open her legs once more, Steph didn't even have time to think before another _WHISH_, then the pain from the blow, found her sweet center once again, the silhouette of her soaking wet cream lips casting a shadow from the outside of her panties.

"What are _these_?" Mark asked, once again, spanking her kitty, this time with extra force, more force than the last two blows. Were the shots painful? To such a tender and sensitive part of the body, they were, however, the sensation from being spanked … down there … just created a warped aurora for Stephanie. She knew she wasn't supposed to like this now trio of open palm onslaughts, she knew she were to make Mark stop, but she couldn't bring herself to do that. In essence, she _liked_ what he was doing to her. It made her wetter with each slap.

Stephanie's mind was so preoccupied with her nearly exploding sex, she didn't even realize Mark's hand flying through the air again until he hit here now sore pussy again, Stephanie's back now in a complete parabola, yelling out, "Ahhhh… Ahhh … Ahhh"

Her brain was traveling some of everywhere now. She couldn't concentrate on both her body, which was now yearning for more than just a few slaps to Mark's open hand, and all the things that were still jumbled up into the back of her mind, as well. She just couldn't handle it all!

"I asked, what …"

_SLAP_.

"ARE"

_SLAP_, _SLAP_.

"THOSE"

_SLAP_.

By the time Mark had finished punishing her nether regions, Stephanie was beside herself. Beside herself to point where she was not only panting heavy, beads of sweat dotting the top of her head and between her breasts in her blouse, but she now seriously had an issue with answering Mark's question. She was on limber's end. She was about to topple over the ledge. With one more slap, and Mark seemed to know this, as well, she'd orgasm, and that was far too easy for Stephanie at the moment, with Mark still honestly pissed the way he was.

Attempting to answer his question, Steph, within pants, gasps, and stutters, managed to mumble out, "Panties … b-b-b-baby … panties. Oh, God … Oh, God, help me."

Unfolding his long legs from under him, Mark slowly descended from the bed, Stephanie's head honestly hurting now, not realizing that she was pulling her own locks with each blow to her pussy. Her inner muscles were contracting, she could feel it. If she could just close her legs up just a little bit more and rub them together …

"Don't move, Stephanie … _or else_." Mark, knowing a woman's body like the back of his hand, knew what Stephanie's motivations were at the moment, to get a nut, but quite frankly, he wasn't inclined to let her do anything remotely close to that, not at the moment, at least.

Bending down on the floor, where so many pair of jeans and t-shirts, pieces of wrestling attire, etc., finding themselves a temporary new home at, Stephanie's could've sworn she heard the rustling of a pair of jeans. She didn't even have time to attempt to investigate, because Mark was now back upright, just as soon as he had bent down. And what he had in his hand made Stephanie's arousal go null-in-void. Black, thick, with a shiny buckle, Mark had what appeared to be a leather belt, folded over several times in his hand, enough of a view to make Stephanie completely bolt from the room, and out of the state of Texas, for that matter. She had non too found memories of the first — and to this date — _only_ spanking she had received from Mark in the back of that limousine, and she definitely didn't want to relive that again.

But with a belt, knotted over at that, what else did Mark have in mind? Was he really that angry with her that he'd spank her … with a belt?

With her heart racing 100 mph, Stephanie, only lifting her head off the bed just slightly, began, on instinct, pleading with her husband. She simply just couldn't endure that pain again!

"Mark, baby, please … please. Please, don't …"

Waving his left hand in front of her, the belt still held firmly in his right, Mark shushed her, saying then, "Your curls are gone. And these … _those …_" then pointing to Steph's Plain Jane Fruit of the Loom classic briefs, spoke again, "… Are not panties, at least not for you, anyway."

While with Mark, Stephanie had not only changed her outward appearance, but her undergarments, as well, choosing to wear sexier cut lingerie, bikini panties, tangas, even a thong here and there, along with a wide assortment of Victoria's Secret bras she now owned, but back in Greenwich, she had literally forgotten about her new foray into sexier lingerie. Mark had always told her that he wanted her to live like a young adult, a young twenty two year old woman, so "granny panties" so to speak definitely didn't fit the young woman mold he had sculpted for her. But was that really worth getting a spanking over?

Walking around back to the nightstand again, Stephanie's eyes following him the entire way, the belt still residing in his right hand, as Mark reached over now and grabbed twin sets of black cloth with his left, both pieces of cloth in the shape of a bandana, yet had none of the printed symbols; these were all black, and Mark was slowly crafting them into something, as well.

Sitting on the side of the bed again, more in the middle this time, deliberately blocking Stephanie's view, Mark began an honest conversation with Stephanie, as if everything was peachy keen between the pair.

"How was Greenwich?" Mark asked nonchalantly, crafting the black cloths into something surely sinister.

Actually unnerved, Stephanie attempted to sit up, to find out just what Mark was doing, but that snapping motion he did with his head, similar to what he had done so many other times with his opponents in the ring, made her slowly ease back down onto the bed, the need for an orgasm completely gone now. That's when he spoke again.

"See your old man? How's he doing for himself? Shane? Linda?"

Hearing Mark rattle off the name of her family scared Stephanie shitless. She knew exactly what Mark was doing. Mark knew exactly what he was doing, as well. Mark was the king of mental torture, and when he was on, he had anyone, man or woman, at his mercy, unmanned, and completely victimized.

_"Why is he asking about my family,"_ Stephanie asked herself bewilderedly, her mind racing with the speed of sound. _"Has he done something to them already?"_

And then, just as quickly as he asked, there was nothing else said from him. Is was like Mark wanted to make Stephanie stew in her own thoughts, as if he were punishing her for something she had done, and she hadn't done anything, other than wear an unfashionable choice of underwear. Mark said she could come back at anytime, so what was up with all the mind games?

Before she could even finish her thoughts, Mark, his sagging pants creating a view of his upper ass, his long shaft still at full-attention, turned around to Stephanie, and casually straddled her midriff, careful not to rest his weight onto the poor girl; he'd surely crush her.

Placing one of the black pieces of cloth within his mouth, which was somehow wound up, Mark grabbed Stephanie's left hand forcefully, taking the cloth away from his mouth and placing half of it around her wrist, grabbing her right hand, as well, ordering her to lock her wrists together. As Stephanie held both of her wrists in place, Mark, just as he had shown Stephanie on their fishing trip, who was very skilled at creating various knots, bound her wrists together as tightly as he could, allowing absolutely no room for movement, before pushing Stephanie's hands back over her head.

Tugging at her restraints, Steph quickly realized that she couldn't even move her wrists, let alone attempt to untie herself, unless she had the use of her mouth, and she certainly didn't have that to use, especially with a 6'10", and quite angry, Mark Calaway, shadowing her.

"I'm going to leave here for a minute or two. Stephanie," and with the sound of her name coming off his lips frightening her to no end, almost as if she were his captive for the very first time all over again, Stephanie jerked her head to the bedroom door, where Mark happened to be standing, anxiously awaiting to hear just what else he had to say. "If you even so much breathe in the wrong direction and happen to move from the very spot," Mark, slapping the belt against one of his open palms, said unmercifully, "You're going to regret it."

And with that, Stephanie was really nervous. For one, she couldn't move her hands, her husband had just threatened her with hard swats to the behind if she dared even move, and now she had to sit here and simply wait for what was to come next. It was maddening. Mark, even when he wasn't supposed to be "Taker", was still playing mind games, and worst of all, Stephanie was on the receiving end of them.

She thought about running. Her hands were bound in front of her, not behind, and maybe with a good gust of speed, she could make it out the front door, but save for her blouse and granny panties, she wasn't wearing anything; she didn't have any shoes on, either, and with this May weather turning Texas streets into frying pans, there'd be no way she'd make it anywhere, not to mention the fact that the next neighbor Mark had was almost a half a mile _drive_ away.

Stephanie's mind raced in so many different directions, she almost didn't even realize that Mark was staring at her from the hallway upon his return. Her breath was ragged, her mind was in state of panic, her heart was racing a marathon, and that's just the way Mark wanted her, too.

Walking inside the door now, still with the leather belt inside his fist, Mark now had a glass of brown liquor, undoubtedly Jack Daniels, along with ice cubes swishing inside with the concoction, Steph's unwavering nerves rattling along with them. Walking back inside the bedroom casually, the clattering of ice against the glass getting louder the closer Mark came to Stephanie's prone body, Mark couldn't help but to look down at Stephanie and smirk just a bit, which undoubtedly created a greater sense of panic in the poor girl, before he emptied his glass of its remnants, save for only the four or pieces of ice still left in the glass.

Although Stephanie wasn't completely immobilized, she could still get up and walk around if Mark allowed her to, the sight of seeing his wife like this, her hands bound above her head, her sweet chest falling up and down, her legs twitching with enamored expectancy, made Mark's dick twitch just a little bit harder in his bottoms, and whether Stephanie knew it or not, he was just as ready, if not more, than she was.

Placing the belt at the foot of the bed, then sitting the near empty glass on the nightstand, Mark, making Stephanie jump with panic, reached out and grabbed her plain purple blouse, pulling her up from the bed, making her, with a fist of chiffon, stand up on her knees just to look up at him, her hands bound in front of her.

Getting a good look of his wife now, Mark then pulled Stephanie from the bed completely, Steph almost stumbling in the process, until she was feet first on the floor, the fabric of her shirt still jumbled into Mark's hand. Shockingly, Mark placed both hands on either side of her hips, massaging her flesh gently, creating a small, tantalizing sensation, while he bent down and bit Stephanie's bottom lip, suckling it with medium pull.

Taking his hands and slowly tickling them up Stephanie's sides, his fingernails creating a buzzing sensation against her tender flesh, Mark, taking his hands, planted them inside of Stephanie's brown locks, pushing her head forward forcefully, before he fully planted his lips onto hers.

Twirling their tongues around in a swiveling motion, Mark's mouth masterfully overtaking hers, he pulled back, and even though Steph had her hands bound in front of her, and there was still the very realistic threat that Mark could do something with that belt … to _her_ … she attempted to reach his mouth again, longing for his simple touches.

With only one hand gripped firmly in Stephanie's hair now, the other hand, which had crept back down her body, was now cupping her ass, very tightly. Using both grips, Mark pulled Stephanie taut to his chest, not allowing her escape, forcing her bound hands to settle upon his chest.

"Who does _this_ belong to?" Mark asked, his voice dry with dark passion, his eyes burning with sexual desire, no doubt a turn-on from his recent dom-like tendencies.

Lost in what Mark was actually saying, confused more than a little bit, as well, Stephanie let out a pensive, "What?", her mind on this and that.

Unfortunately for her, however, this is not what Mark wanted to hear.

Returning to her mouth again, his hands massaging her hair, still with a death grip, not to mention his hand in the crack of her behind, cupping it tightly, Mark, rather softly this time stated, "Wrong answer."

And with that, Mark spent Stephanie around so quickly, she didn't even have the chance to fully gauge what was going on. Rubbing his still sheathed shaft against the bottom of her bare ass cheeks, his rock hard penis desperate for release, Mark, grabbing Stephanie by the hair again, her back now faced to his chest, pulled her head back even more by her hair, causing her yell out again, the pain in her head all too real, her mouth wide, attempting to facilitate air through it.

Sucking on the right side of her neck, a bruise quickly forming under her usually mellow flesh, Mark slowly eased his grip from around Stephanie's hair, still suckling at a throbbing vein. That's when Mark, inching at the nightstand, reached and grabbed the other black cloth, placing it around Stephanie's eyes, tying it behind her head quickly, blinding her!

Pushing her onto the bed rather forcefully, her hands wrapped closely to each other, Stephanie's knees barely found the edge of the bed, and with a slap to her near bare behind, Mark's menacing, "Get your ass up there," following right behind it, Steph, blind, not knowing if she were to topple off the other side of the bed or not, helplessly felt her way around with fastened hands, hoping not to fall off of it.

Once she was in a position that Mark desired, he slowly began ebbing his still enclosed penis over her pussy lips, the sensation of ecstasy and the friction of the fabric making for a very weird, yet somewhat desired feeling.

Without warning again, Mark tripped her hands from underneath her, causing her to fall breast first into the mattress. Although it didn't really hurt, this was all still too much action without any direction for Stephanie.

_"What is he going to do to me?"_

She got her answer when she felt her body being spent around again, her back on the bed now, with Mark grabbing her hands and solidly placing them over her head once more, ordering her to not move. That's when Steph felt Mark leave the bed again.

Without the use of her eyes and her hands, she only had her sense of smell and hearing to guide her, but even those were somewhat limited given the current state she was in. Hearing the rattling of ice cubes again now, Steph found herself arching her back, not for sure what was to come next.

Getting back into the bed now, Mark straddled Steph's lower body, just as he had done before, and pushed her legs apart. With her feet planted inside the bed, Mark, leaning up and pushing up her blouse and her bra, almost up to her neck, began lapping over her right nipple, sucking, grinding the perky skin with his teeth, and pulling at the succulent mound of flesh, just as he grabbed a cube of ice from the glass, tracing it down the swells of Stephanie's breasts, the coldness of the ice against Steph's somewhat moist skin causing her to hiss out, while Mark continued to slide the cube down her body, up and down her stomach slowly, methodically, around her belly button, the drops of water leaving little trails all down her body.

"Aah … aah," managed Steph, who had absolutely still no idea what Mark was going to do. It's like he was mixing a bunch of pain with pleasure, and she didn't know what to make of it. She was confused. Befuddled. Mark was actually torturing her with sex.

His mouth leaving her breast now, leaning back, with both sides of his hand, Mark began slapping Stephanie's right breast back and forth steadily within his hand, toying with it creating a volley of hits against the small heaps of flesh. No, they didn't hurt necessarily, but the small tingles of pain that did sear through it, were … were … erotic feeling.

Sliding down lower … lower … between her legs again, Mark, with his devilishly long tongue, licked, then began sucking, nibbling, at her now soaking wet pussy, the smell of her arousal filling the room like never before.

She and Mark had had sex more times than she could even remember, but never was she _this_ wet. And she shouldn't be. Nothing Mark had done so far was for her arousal. It was all for him, but yet, she couldn't help but to feign for me.

Grabbing another ice cube from the glass, then shifting his body a bit, so he could give Stephanie's clit better attention and service, Mark then dragged the melting piece of ice over Stephanie's vagina through her already cum-stained panties, Steph buckling in the bed, the feeling of cold and wet versus hot and sticky almost too much for her, twitching and biting at her lips in the process, buckling up and down like a horse in a stable.

While Mark still had his tongue on her clit, lapping at it, and the ice cube was still haunting Stephanie below, Mark, with his left hand, then slowly reached back down into Steph's panties, and with two fingers, opened Stephanie wide, the two fingers dipping in and out slowly, finding that sweet spot she wanted to Mark to reach desperately with his penis.

Taking his fingers out, Mark, with the cube again, slid the ice back over the outside of her panties, and with her slightly open vaginal lips, was able to make Steph's body hold it there, while his soaking wet fingers, without notice, slipped into Stephanie's mouth!

And even though she couldn't use her eyes to see just what it was that she was sucking from Mark's fingers, the smell and the taste alone let her know that for the first time ever, she was savoring herself, the saltiness of her own body a new, yet freaky and splendid flavor. She had never done anything like this. It was bold, dirty, risqué even, but … she continued to suck, licking her tongue in and around Mark's fingers, sucking him off, as if she were to do for other parts of his anatomy.

As Mark dipped and swiveled his fingers around her mouth, on one hand, Steph was burning up, both inside and out, with arousal, but on the other hand, she had an ice cube that was slowly melting inside the molds of her pussy lips, and Mark was still causing shivers and shakes all over body from his torment of her clitoris.

It was the most erotic, exotic, and quite frankly, mind-blowing thing that Stephanie had ever experienced in her life. Her hands were tied over her head, but she was pulling at the roots of her hair as if she were a mad woman, she was buckling up and down in the bed, feet slipping on the sheets, moaning, groaning, yelling for Mark, desperate for … for something.

"Mark … baby … shit … please … please."

Pulling at her clit as he slowly pulled away from her body, causing Steph to gasp out in the painful, yet sensual, and highly seductive move, Mark, leaning up over her again, asked her in a near to hoarse voice, from clearly testing both of their sexual limits, asked roughly, "Please, what? Huh, girl?" And while gripping her pussy strong with his right hand, capturing all of her, finished, "Say it!"

About to blow a gasket, not knowing what to say, or what to do, what she was feeling, as if she were a juxtaposition of right and wrong, Stephanie, biting her lip, almost until she was bruising it a bit, yelled out the first thing that came to mind, the only thing she wanted Mark to do at this point, "Fuck me! Fuck me … please! Please!"

And with those few words, that's all Mark wanted … needed to hear. Grabbing Steph by both hips, he flipped her over onto her stomach, Steph, not as nearly as prepared, yelled out from the quickness of the flip. She hated being bound and blindfolded, she couldn't do much of anything, but the odd yearning it gave her, because she was crudely anticipating what was to come next, was the ultimate mind-fuck.

Bringing her ass up in the air with his hands, Steph heard the fabric of Mark's pants slide below his thighs, the groan in his throat rumbling around them, as he freed his manhood, pressing it against Steph's sticky and creamy center.

Leaning over her a bit, Mark, twisting Steph's long hair around his left wrist, then yanked her hair back, an "Aaah, shit!" escaping her mouth right before, with incredible self-control, Mark asked her right as it felt he were about to dive right into her, "How do you want it, Stephanie?" Licking up her neck, planting kisses up and down her face, he followed with, "You want it hard? Slow? Tell me!"

Unable to truly decide, her emotions and sexual wants and frustrations all truly bouncing off each other, like a ping-pong game, Steph, stuttering to make up her mind, had her mind made up for her, because as Mark pushed her back down onto the bed, back onto her forearms, he plunged right into her, hard, as he grabbed her hip with his right hand, forcing her to meet his slow, brutal thrusts, his left hand entangled in her dampened hair.

With her mouth wide, Steph had no other choice but to scream out in ecstasy, the feeling absolutely wonderful, the pain and pleasure finally combining themselves in a way that Steph never envisioned could be possible.

Using her hair as leverage, Mark then began slapping Stephanie's ass, making her call out his name. "Oh, my God, Mark … shit …" with Mark too joining in on the act, pumping into her slow and sturdy, his pace deliberate, mumbling out between groans, "That's it, baby, that's it. Give it to me," as he slapped her around the ass again.

Then, switching hands to hold her hair, Mark reached over onto the bed and apparently grabbed something, and because Stephanie couldn't see what it was, she had no choice but to wait to find out just what Mark was planning to do. Quickly switching back to gripping her hair with his left hand again, his pump never altering, the wetness of Stephanie's vagina slowly sliding down her thighs, Mark, rising his right hand, brought that leather belt he had earlier introduced right onto Stephanie's backside, not enough to hurt her, but enough to make her more alert than ever, with a somewhat quicker pump quickly following behind it.

"Oww! Oh, my God, oh, my God, SHIIIIT!"

Knowing Stephanie was aroused, never having felt anything like this before in her life, Mark struck her across her backside again, and from the slaps of his hand, to the leather belt, Stephanie's ass burnt a very pretty mixture of crimson and pink, the landmarks a turn on for Mark in every since of the word.

"You like that shit, don't you? Huh?" as he pumped deep inside of her again, as Stephanie began shaking, losing her grip on the bed, her arms almost too weak to even hold herself up. Slapping her across the other cheek now, making sure not to hit himself, once again, Stephanie screamed out again, panting hard, sweat dripping down both sides of her face, Mark demanding once more, "Say it! Tell daddy how much you like it!"

Knowing that she liked it, and that she had been secretly, for a while now, been waiting on something like this to fill the void in her life, that being her monotonous Greenwich upbringing, Steph moaned out, unable to catch her breath, licking her lips, her tongue dry, "I like it, baby! Oh, dear baby Jesus, I love it, babe, I love it, I love it!"

And although she wasn't able to see it, Mark's lip curled into a deep smile, knowing he had Stephanie right where he wanted her: at his sexual mercy.

Finally losing her balance after the blow, the her thighs quivering, her arms heavy, Mark pulled Stephanie back up by her hair, tossing the belt to one side of the room, before grabbing her about the neck, bringing her equally damp back to his rock hard chest, kissing at her sweat drenched throat, while another arm wrapped around her dainty waist, pushing her left leg open a bit, allowing himself better access into her.

As he then wrapped his leg unto hers, continuing his onslaught, Mark, biting and lapping at her neck, forcing himself into her more and more, the shivery "Huh … huuuh …" steadily escaping Stephanie's lips, Mark demanded her to answer, "Who's pussy does this belong to, huh?" as he continued pumping, his grip around her throat getting a bit tighter, constricting her airwaves, "Who's pussy does this belong to?"

"It's yours!" Steph screamed loudly, shouting to the top of her lungs. "It's yours … daddy … it's yours!"

Wriggling his fingers around her neck now, providing her a bit more oxygen to breathe with, Mark then whispered in her ear, before diving back down into her neck, nipping at it, the hickeys almost forming an archipelago of bite marks, "You gone leave me again? Hmm …?"

And as his penis thrust into her, Mark's thumb ran over her tender pink nub, tickling and teasing it, and with that, an explosion felt like it were going off inside of her body, as she began to shake violently, powerful spasm engulfing her entire body, just as she was shaking her head wildly at Mark's last question, as the ripple effect gained heavy steam inside of her.

She was orgasming.

Her mouth wide, Stephanie, in a sexual fit, perspiration pouring down her body, her once clean hair now matted, her stomach feeling as if it were doing flip flops, yelled out, "NO!" as she sank into the bed, Mark, no longer reinforcing her with his body, the convulsions just all too much for her, overtaking her, sweeping her away from all over issues with everyone, Mark, her father, Saphirra, anything and everything that had been plaguing her for the past few weeks, nothing else mattered after that moment.

Mark, feeling Stephanie's powerful orgasm, as well, as she continued to tremble profusely on the bed, brought her hips back up to his, easing her back into him, this time, grabbing her by both shoulders, pumping inside of her with all of his might, and with just one more powerful thrust, spilled himself all inside of Stephanie, feeling himself go limp inside of her inviting body, his own orgasm so powerful, traces of his semen found itself outside of Stephanie, down her thighs and unto her legs, as well.

Both of them, spent, exhausted, gasping for air, were, at this moment, at peace with each other. Nothing else in the world mattered to the two of them. Falling onto the mattress, beads of sweat wrapping themselves around his body, his long black hair flying around the tops of the pillows, as well, Mark pulled Stephanie on top of him, feeling around her jawline tenderly, caressing her smooth face, before planting a rather gently soft kiss onto her lips, a well-deserved one, which she responded to and returned equally, as the barrier from her eyes was slowly released, her eyes filling with the sight of the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

"You. Are. Mines. Stephanie. Marie. Calaway."

Looking down at her husband, nodding slowly, knowing that his last statement couldn't be more truthful, Stephanie, knowing exactly that this is where she wanted to be, slowly laid her head onto her husband's chest, finally nipping kisses around her forehead, her eyes slowly and steadily closing.


	63. Is This Goodbye

With her body aching something delicious, the inner most part of her legs, her breasts, her ass, and even her hair, all strained from the recent … Stephanie didn't even think she could call what she and Mark had just done love making. It was more … sex. Hot … sex. Fucking, as some people would crudely call it, but that's what it was indeed.

And it had worn Stephanie out.

The way that her body was humming and buzzing, her limbs every bit of sore from being used in the manner that they had been, it honestly felt as if Stephanie had just finished some strenuous full-body work out, with Mark, of course, being her trainer.

Obviously, this version of sex … _fucking_ … was all still very new to Stephanie. She wasn't prepared for the aftermath of her body feeling as if she had just completed a 4k. It didn't hurt specifically, but it was definitely … different. And secretly, Stephanie loved the achy sensation her body was now harboring. It made her feel more raw, more primal. She liked this feeling.

Before this morning, Stephanie had never even so much as given rough sex like she had just experienced a second thought. Sure, she had read about all the things some bad boy in a Harlequin romance novel could do to some innocent, but she never thought that that innocent would one day turn out to be her, and the bad guy was Mark Calaway, of all people.

It was definitely surreal, however, it only reinforced in Stephanie's mind all the many games and tricks Mark could play with both her mind and her body. He was a pro at these sort of things. Mark was the master of her sexual and mental domain, and looking back on it, Stephanie realized that she wouldn't have it any other way, either.

Could she see herself doing more fucking like this? Absolutely, but with her being pregnant and all, having sex like this … all the time … more than likely wouldn't work out very well.

As Stephanie lie in the huge bed, obviously alone now, her brain coming down off its climatic high, it suddenly dawned on her that she could move her hands again. Sitting up in the bed now, groggily, her back aching, rolling her wrists around, desperately needing some circulation to pass through them, Stephanie looked over to the alarm clock that lie besides Mark's nightstand, the time reading 2:06 p.m.

_"Gosh, the time has flown!"_

When Stephanie first arrived back in Houston early this morning, it was only a little after nine in the morning, the drive out to Mark's ranch easily taking up another hour, but now it was after 2 p.m.? Just how long _had_ they done it?

Continuing to rotate her wrists, little red marks where the cloth had cut into her circulation still visible, Steph continued to sit up in the bed, looking all around her, wanting to take as much in as possible.

Things in the room certainly still looked the same, and other than the curtains being drawn to a close, and the floor looking like Hurricane Camille had recently passed through it, this was still the same bedroom where Stephanie and Mark had shared and spent countless nights together.

And while the day seemingly started off rocky for both of them, with Stephanie being pinned down to said bed, and even the two Comp Town guys being thrown out of the house like a sack of trash, that didn't make Steph feel any less wanted.

In fact, all of Mark's actions from this morning, from him being a total jackass to seemingly turning into a darkened Romeo, only made Stephanie want to love him more.

Obviously, Mark wasn't a man for a lot of mushy conversation. His actions always spoke louder than his words, and that's what Stephanie loved about him, despite the fact that his non-ability to communicate properly sometimes nearly drove her up a wall.

Mark didn't have to tell Stephanie that he missed her; she saw it clearly from his interactions with her. Hell, the bedroom floor had clearly taken a pounding from Stephanie's missed daily cleanup. And while telling Stephanie that he loved her would be the ultimate coup-de-grace for her at this point in her life, being now married and _pregnant,_ with _Mark's_ child, Stephanie, just to be close to him, was still inclined to take whatever it was that Mark was willing to give to her.

Stephanie honestly wished that it didn't have to be this way, that she could make Mark snap out of his stubborn rut and transform into the man she had wished upon a star for all those lonely teenage nights, but she couldn't. She was, however, willing to try any and everything to make the second phase of this continued relationship work, even if she did have to sacrifice bits and pieces of her own happiness for the couple's as a whole.

Stretching a bit now, her body as creaky as a leaky faucet, Steph, with the bedspread snuggly wrapped around her body, slowly crept out of the bed, making her way into the bathroom, the door to it still opened from when she let April out of it. And without the sound of water running, Stephanie was reassured that Mark wasn't taking a shower or a bath, either.

"Dammit, Mark," Stephanie thought out loud, thinking about her poor baby girl, April, who had been locked out the master bedroom entirely during she and Mark's latest sex session. Surely, Stephanie could think of something to make her baby happy after big ol bad Mark had been such a meany pit to her.

Walking into the bathroom with the bedspread still wrapped tightly around her body, Stephanie, coming to the realization that she was in the room alone now, suddenly let the comforter slowly fall from her body to the junky floor, with Operation Cleanup being the first thing to do on Stephanie's to do list after a hot shower.

Walking into the bathroom completely now, Stephanie, opening the shower door, turned the knobs to the shower, slowly creeping inside the heated water, the steam quickly blanketing the room.

Taking a sponge from the knob of the shower door, Stephanie lathered her entire body thoroughly with a body wash that she had apparently left behind when she moved back to Greenwich. The scent, which smelled of a variation of fruits and flowers, enveloped her senses, awakening her body anew.

Taking the shower as slowly as she could, allowing the hot water and soap to marinate into her skin, not wanting to rush the feeling of a relaxing bath, Stephanie took a deep breath inwards, her mind pixelating with all the different events and scenarios that she had seen and been through since her move back to Greenwich, the main thought being, she was pregnant. And she had absolutely no idea how to break the news to Mark, either.

Would he be upset that he was now expecting a son or a daughter with Stephanie, his first, now that everything in life, from his career, his takeover of the WWF, his run with the title especially, was all now seemingly going according to plan, minus a few hiccups here and there? Or would he be ecstatic about his new bundle of joy, if Stephanie could even call her pregnancy that at this point.

When Stephanie was a little girl, when she envisioned her grand nuptials and having children, she always imagined that things would unfold for her in some whimsical, magical fashion, that she'd have some fairytale wedding, her father walking her down the aisle, giving her away, that she'd go on some beautiful and romantic getaway for the honeymoon, and that she'd have several beautiful children afterwards, at least two, however, life had definitely thrown her a curveball, a huge one at that.

While she didn't get the big romantic wedding and the honeymoon in the tropics that she had dreamt for at night, what she was getting was a child, and come several months, unless some ungodly intervention took place, she and Mark would be welcoming their first child together, which scared Stephanie shitless.

What kind of mother would she be? She was only twenty-two years old. She didn't know anything about being a mom. Heck, Stephanie had never as much changed a dirty diaper before. She didn't know the first thing about babies, and here she was expecting one! And while she was certain that some things were acquired with a little bit of common sense and motherly instinct, that was only a third of her issues about being a new mom.

What about Mark?

Sure, Mark could lead the Ministry like an army general lead his battalion to war, but that was too far and different from being a father, from having to raise a brand new life.

Was Mark even prepared mentally to be a father? Along with many others in their line of business, Mark had played dirty, _very_ dirty, on his way to the top in the past year, so how could he morally be a father to an innocent baby, when just weeks prior, he literally tried to end the career of both Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Big Show? What kind of message would that send for their child?

Steph, in most aspects, considered Vince to be a wonderful father, but then again, he had done questionable things in the past as well, many of which made even Stephanie, Vince's biggest cheerleader, sometimes want to undermine his judgement … hence the reason she why she was even back in Houston in the first place. Well … at least part of the reason.

Mark had given Vince until the end of the July to meet all of the terms and conditions in exchange for Vince's ownership back in the company. And while Vince on one hand was inclined "to do business" with Mark, to make this whole nightmare between the two of them to quickly go away, he _wasn't_ going to this, which created a huge problem for Stephanie. For one, Vince didn't get past drama, he got even, and that's exactly what he planned to do with Mark.

July 31 was the last day in which Mark would play fair by, in which he'd keep the company in tact by ownership numbers, but on August 1, he'd begin selling pieces of stock of the company to any and everyone, and Vince, Steph, all the attorneys, accountants, etc., knew that Mark meant every single word of his declaration, as well.

Hell, Mark would even sell pieces of stock to Eric Bischoff if push came to shove, so he needed for this threats to Vince to resonate in no other way fathomable.

Mark wanted … _needed_ … security. He had broken the law more times in the past few months than should be realistically allowed, and in all honesty, he'd be in jail right now if Vince deemed fit for it. But Mark, knowing how badly Raw was trumping Nitro in the ratings war week after week now, used this to his advantage.

Because the WWF was so over in the mainstream media, and with WCW floundering in the ratings lately, if Vince attempted to take Mark to court, that would surely hurt the company's public standing as a whole, along with giving WCW ammunition to attack its nearest competitor again. And above all else, to avoid a lengthy legal battle, Mark, along with wanting to become the most paid and tenured superstar in the company, wanted signed and sealed legal amnesty from Vince and the company he worked for. Afterwards, Vince would get his company back.

While Mark was many things, he was also a man of his word, and he wasn't quite ready yet to hang up the tights and boots. Vince would have his company back, Mark would have the title and nothing could ever happen to him legally as far as ramifications were concerned, and all would be right again.

Vince, however, even on a sick bed, wasn't going to allow this scenario to happen quite the way Mark had envisioned it, which is where Stephanie came in.

Although Stephanie had initially said no to Vince's proposition, to her coming back to Houston, just in order to, more or less, to seduce and trick Mark, just so Vince could return before Mark's deadline, to seize back his stake in company in the ultimate hostile takeover, in the end, Stephanie and Vince both agreed that this was the best course of action for them to take as a family, and the guilt associated from having to lie to Mark was eating away at her very soul.

In essence, with all the horrible things that Mark had done to Stephanie over the past few months, from stalking her to forcefully marrying her on live television, Stephanie should have been elated to do something like this on her father's behalf, but it just didn't sit well with her at all.

In spite of all the things she and Mark had gone through, Stephanie just couldn't rightfully bring herself to willfully deceiving him, especially after he had shown her a whole new side of living.

She was madly in love with Mark, to the point where she was even willing to accept the fact that he wouldn't admit that he was in love with her, but now, she was setting him up?

She could chastise Mark, Vince, and Shane even, for all the rotten things they had done to people over the past year or so, but in all honesty, if she went through with this for Vince, she wasn't any better than either one of them; she'd be just as evil and sinister as the people around her, and unlike when she set up X-Pac, this didn't give her a thrill.

This only made her sick to her stomach.

On top of this, Vince McMahon, her own father, was using Stephanie as bait, as a scapegoat, just in order to avenge his feud with Mark. Vince, from the way that he was speaking to Stephanie the night before her flight back to Houston, seemingly was still under the impression that Stephanie was still innocent, that she was still a virgin, and that he actually wanted her to give this to Mark as a way to …

She was disgusted just by thinking about it!

But in reality, what other choice did Stephanie have? She was literally caught between a rock and a hard spot. She loved both Mark and Vince, equally, and she didn't want to hurt either one of them, but in order to even be back in Houston, without up and leaving, and Vince quickly coming to the realization that she truly did love Mark, she had to lie to her husband, she had to agree to Vince's plan. And on top of lying to Vince, making him believe that she truly hated Mark and that she'd go along with his scheme, Stephanie also had no real intentions of doing this.

True, she had agreed to Vince's proposed plan in name, but ethically, how could she? She couldn't hurt Mark just to make her father happy, and she wouldn't hurt Vince by allowing Mark to liquidate Vince's rightful stake in the company. This was truly a no win situation for everyone, but it was also the most precarious position Stephanie had found herself in in months.

Stephanie had two months to think of some sort of plan, some sort of ruse to appease both her husband and her father, but at this point, she had absolutely no idea what this was going to be.

Stephanie had also consciously decided to keep the news of her pregnancy a secret from everyone, including Mark. She just wasn't ready to reveal this life altering news yet, at least not without coming to some sort of decision about Mark and her father first. She was sure this would benefit everyone in the long run.

What was supposed to be a relaxing shower quickly turned tense, to the point where Stephanie wasn't even bathing herself any longer; she was merely staring off into space again, her mind convoluted with too many questions, yet not enough answers. Feeling as she were about to scream, her brain about burst from the sudden congestion of worry, Stephanie, allowing the sponge to fall to the shower floor, simply walked underneath the shower rod, allowing the falling water to rain over her body, desperately needing her mind to find a small amount of peace and solace.

As the water drained down her hair, causing it to elongate, then dripping down her body, her nipples taut from the heat of the shower, through the frosty glass shower door, as Stephanie finally opened her eyes again, she could have sworn that she saw the silhouette of Mark's large frame stalking over the bathroom. Slowly opening the murky door, Stephanie slowly eased out the shower, her wet feet touching the cold floor, expecting to find her husband there, but there was no one. No Mark. No April. Not even Zeus.

Looking around the room thoroughly, her mind obviously playing tricks on her, Stephanie, grabbing a towel from the open closet, which was just as junky as the floor in the bedroom, on top of having her mind discombobulated with a number of plaguing issues, also had to clean up this house, and if the bedroom looked liked this, she could only imagine what the rest of the house looked like.

Walking past herself in the huge bathroom mirror over the vanity, Stephanie eyed herself carefully. Turning around, Stephanie could still see the small, yet harsh, red lines that had formed over one side of her behind, no doubt from the spanking she had received from Mark. Rubbing her hand over the delicate flesh, although it didn't hurt, tender yes, but not outright painful, Stephanie almost smiled to herself.

Although coming from her esteemed background, sex that left marks on the bodies of women would surely make the well-heeled women back in Greenwich shriek in terror; Stephanie on the other hand very much liked her little battle scars. They were almost comforting in a way. She knew that Mark would never physically hurt her during sex, and to her, this was pain that she could almost control, and quite frankly, she needed a bit unstable stability in her life right now.

Walking back into the bedroom after towel drying her hair, another large towel wrapped firmly around her body, Steph, in the midst of all the junk that surrounded her feet, spotted her two brown duffle bags at the foot of the bed, the LV monograms covering the bags thoroughly. Mark must've brought the bags upstairs while Stephanie was sleeping or in the shower.

Rumbling through the bags, Stephanie found her favorite lotion amongst her belongings, quickly moisturizing her skin, from her legs to her behind, to her upper body, before she quickly grabbed a sports bra from the other bag, slipping it on, along with a red "BU" t-shirt, a pair of black biker shorts, a pair of clean socks, and a pair of sneakers.

With her hair still dripping a bit, cleaning up the mess she made from the shower, Stephanie went about tidying up the room … and there was a lot to do. From sorting and separating various articles of clothing to placing them in bins for a future wash, Steph had her hands full in attempting to make the master bed and bathroom look livable again. But she found that when she was cleaning, it took her mind off all of her issues, allowing her brain to be free of drama.

A full hour and a half passed when Stephanie finally could see the floor again, but not once had Mark come back upstairs. It was almost 5 o'clock in the evening now, and she hadn't heard a peep from anyone, not even the occasional growls and barks from from April and Zeus. Just where was everybody?

Sighing out loud, Stephanie made her way back down the quiet hallway and down the stairs, envisioning all of the dirty dishes that she'd surely find in the kitchen on her way through, but to her surprise, the kitchen, and even the conjoining den, were all spotless, which was strange, considering how just mere minutes ago, she and Mark's bedroom was anything but.

Walking over to the patio door, which had a beautiful view of the covered patio itself and the huge backyard, Stephanie opened the door to the outside, the hot Texas air humidifying her still dampened hair almost immediately. No, the infamous Texas heat was _not_ something that Stephanie missed while back in Greenwich.

Walking outside, feeling as if it were at least 90 degrees or more out, Stephanie took her time re-familiarizing herself to the outside of her home. Even it looked the same as before she left. Not a chair, not even a speck of grass was out of place.

Walking around, the pool drained of water, obviously as to clean it, Stephanie casually walked along the back of the house, until, from the distance, she spotted not only Mark, who was working on one of his old motorcycle projects, but also Zeus and April, who were out a little bit further wrestling around with each other.

The sight of Mark's muscles in a cut out blue and black flannel shirt, flexing heavily, while he contorted a wrench around one of the gears of his bike, just did something to Stephanie. Seeing him all greasy and sweaty like this, his long black hair flying in the wind behind him, made Stephanie want to pounce on him, and in all of her years of living, she never wanted to pounce on anyone before. This was definitely an exception to the rule almost.

All the guys she had dated or was remotely interested in were all clean shaven, preppy dressed, and had unlimited access to the finer things in life, Centurion cards, unlimited sports cars, the finest restaurant reservations, but now that Stephanie was married to Mark, none of the fancy stuff seemed to resonate with her any longer.

Both of them had money, yes, but with Mark, the simple things in life, like going fishing at some little known watering hole or riding behind Mark when he was on his bike, his pulsating muscles around Stephanie adjusting to the maneuvering motorcycle, is what kept her happy, and although they had taken a break from this, Stephanie wanted desperately to return to the life she had gained to appreciate.

Walking up behind him quietly, not knowing if she should announce herself or not, she didn't want to startle him, Steph, almost in a trance from seeing Mark's strong body flex away at his continued work, wanting to have him right here and now, not caring if the two of them were outside or not, had her mischievous thoughts interrupted when Mark, as casually as ever, just when she was only a foot and a half away from him, asked "Sleep well?", his cool, calm voice making Stephanie jump a bit. She definitely wasn't expecting for him to notice her.

Steph, having to smile from the momentary fright Mark placed upon her, answered almost quietly, "As nice as you can make it, I suppose."

Nodding, Mark's hands working a gear on his bike, never turning around however, questioned again, "And that means?"

Rolling her eyes, her mouth twisted in a slight smirk, Stephanie answered again, "It means, under normal circumstances, had I not had my hands bound in front of me, along with having myself blindfolded, I would have had a superb sleep. But since I'm still a little achy, I'll give it a 9 out of a 10."

"You should know that I strive for perfection," Mark retorted, never once taking his eyes of his bike, however.

"Well, Mr. Calaway, maybe you should try a little bit harder then."

Smirking a small bit himself now, turning his head only slightly, his long, rocker-style hair billowing in the wind behind him, making Steph's stomach turn in knots, Mark replied, his green eyes barely catching hers, "I'll make a note of that."

Watching Stephanie's shadow on the pavement, her arms hugging around herself, obviously watching intently as Mark continued to work on his bike, he called out to her again, attempting to break up the sudden silence that had formed between the two. "How long you been up?"

"A couple of hours," Steph replied nonchalantly, her freshly washed hair catching itself in the passing cool breeze, her arms wrapped around her tightly. She didn't know what it was, but it was just something about being in Mark's presence that made her feel something. It felt odd almost.

Dropping the wrench onto the concrete beneath him, the clanking sound echoing around them, Mark, then blowing at a part on his bike, asked finally, "So you just now decided to come out here?"

"Well, I found myself busy inside, and when you didn't come back upstairs to see me, I just decided to come down here," Stephanie's meek voice trailing off in the end. What was wrong with her?

One minute, she had lust in her eyes for Mark, ready to have sex with him again right in their own backyward, but now, she was turning shy? Why were her emotions jumping all around the place like this, when just moments ago, all she could think about was Mark's embrace?

Dusting the dirt from his jeans, standing up to his full height now, Mark pulled his bike off its side, allowing it to rest on its kickstand, before he finally walked over to Stephanie, looking down upon his wife, immediately dwarfing her.

At 5 feet 9 inches, Stephanie was a very tall girl. In fact, she was even taller than her mother, but Mark, being a good 6 feet, 10 inches tall, easily towered over her.

With her eyes now casted upon the ground, feeling Mark's hands rubbing against her cheek, making her shiver all of over, his touch almost unwinding her instantly, Mark slowly walked backwards to his bike, sitting on the leather seat casually, propping one of his feet up on his pipes, leaning over casually, almost leering at her.

It made her feel uncomfortable. Twiddling her fingers, something she did out of habit whenever she found herself nervous, Steph continued to look around the ground almost anxiously, biting her lower lip. Something just did not feel right between the two of them all of the sudden. It was almost as if there was some palpable tension between the pair.

And in the next moment, Stephanie knew exactly why.

"So what time does your flight leave?" Mark asked calmly, as he turned the key inside to the engine, the old bike attempting to start up as he cranked on the clutch, Stephanie's stomach almost collapsing within itself from hearing that question.

Feeling rather uneasy, asking to herself in a panic almost, _"Why is he asking what time my flight is?"_ out of the open field ran April, who, unlike Mark, seemed to be thrilled at Stephanie's mere sight.

Circling around her in a frenzy, Stephanie, with Mark eyeing her warily, bent down to pick up her rather large baby, the one on four legs at least, with Mark mouthing out slightly under his breath, "You're gonna make her weak," obviously referring to how much Steph would pet and hold April, but right now, even though she loved the attention April was giving her, as she licked about Stephanie's freshly washed face, Stephanie had other issues to deal with at the moment, chiefly being, why was Mark asking her about some flight? From her knowledge, she wasn't going anywhere!

Snuggling April close to her, her coat shining a mixture of yellow and white, Steph asked lowly, although her voice certainly raised from the last time she spoke, "Mark, what flight?"

Clearing his throat a bit, continuing to stare back at her, while Stephanie looked to be as perplexed as ever, Mark responded, as if there was nothing to his words, "You know, your flight. Your flight back to Greenwich."

Stunned, her brown eyes nearly popping out from her head from the sheer shock alone, Stephanie, almost shrieking now in horror, remarked pointedly, "Mark, I'm not going back to Greenwich."

"You don't say?" Mark asked coyly, sniffling a bit, his thumb flicking over his nose as he stopped cranking the hand-clutch, his hand then settling by his crouch area, looking as blankly back at Stephanie.

"I do say!" Steph almost screamed back at Mark, as she sat April back down onto the ground, completely shocked at the turn of events that had just taken place. Before all of this, Mark was fucking her, having crazy sex with her, but now all of the sudden, he was asking her what time her flight left?

Completely puzzled, Steph, walking directly in front of her husband, blocking the sunlight from his body, not even attempting to hide both her concern and her annoyance, asked as sternly as she possible could, "Mark, where is all of this coming from?"

Looking his wife squarely in the face, the thing of beauty it was, transforming from completely innocent when she first walked out, to that of almost a hellcat now that Mark was finally confronting her, her entire demeanor having changed from perplexed good girl to pissed semi-bad girl, Mark stated calmly, "After we finished, I rode my bike out some, thought a little bit, and you know what, Stephanie, …"

"No, I don't know."

"Don't interrupt me," Mark warned cooly, hating when anyone cut him off. He wasn't much of a talker, but when he did, he hated being interrupted.

"Like I was saying," he continued. "After I rode my bike out some, got my thoughts together, I just figured that it would be best if you really did go back to Greenwich with your old man." And then, spitting on the ground callously, bit into Stephanie, almost as if he had cursed at her. "You know, back where you belong?"

Placing her hands upon her hips, completely astonished how Mark was attempting to get rid of her, smiling from the pure disbelief that was coursing through her body, sucking on her teeth, looking as if Mark completely disgusted her, Stephanie retorted, "So what was all that 'you are mine' crap, huh? Was that just to toy with me, like you always do? Huh? I mean, what is this?"

"Steph, let's just cut through the bullshit, alright? You're not built for this."

Appalled that her worth was seemingly being questioned by the man whom she was sacrificing everything for, Stephanie, almost in a sense of rage, jumped in Mark's face, almost screaming at him, "Built for what? Mark, what are saying? Why are you talking like this?"

Taking his hand and placing on Stephanie's abdomen, attempting to move her back a bit, Stephanie, with anger streaking through her entire being, without a moment's hesitation, reached out and slapped Mark's hand away from her, needing answers from this man as badly as she needed air at the moment.

Slowly looking up at her, her eyes reading, "Don't push me," Mark continuing by retorting, "It's the truth, ok? You're not built for this life. We saw it after you set up X-Pac and Big Show, we saw it when I showed you the tapes, and we saw it when you left …"

"Mark, I left because _we_ _made_ that decision _together_. Now you're reprimanding me for that?"

"It's more than that and you know it."

"Really? Because you didn't have a problem with me before? So now me having a conscience is your Achilles heel? Mark, how freaking dare you?"

"You done?" Mark asked snidely, feeling Stephanie was putting on a bit of a performance now.

When Mark said something, it was usually the end of the conversation. He wasn't used to people critiquing or questioning his judgment, and the fact that Stephanie was doing just that bugged him … big time.

"No, I'm not done? Are you?" Stephanie snapped back, completely annoyed at Mark's bravado.

She didn't know what she had to do to please this man! Here she was, ready to sacrifice pieces of her own happiness just in order to be with him, but now he had already made plans to ship her back off to Greenwich?

_"How fucking dare he?"_

"Are you done making an ass out of yourself?" Stephanie stated finally, before Mark, with the glide of a cheetah, rising from his bike swiftly, walked over to Stephanie threateningly, causing her to stumble back, her eyes brown with furor, before she stopped right in her tracks, not about to be intimidated in this moment, Mark raising his index finger to her face, asking menacingly, "What did you say to me?"

"I asked 'are you done making an ass out of yourself'. I mean, what is it, Mark? Why are you trying to get rid of me? Is it another woman?"

"Hardly, but if it was, you'd be the first to know about it," Mark said evilly, hoping to honestly hurt Stephanie, but with all that she had gone through, words were the least of her problem.

Spinning the comment for her own use, Stephanie replied, "Oh, that's so comforting to know. Please, send me an invitation to the wedding, but right now, I _demand_ that you be honest with me."

Knowing that no one demanded anything from Mark Calaway, when in all honesty, he was the one who was always demanding of others around him, Mark, not allowing Stephanie control of the conversation, merely peered back at her, refusing to answer anything she was asking of him at the moment.

Turning back to his bike, attempting to make the engine start again, Mark ignored Stephanie, feeling his mind was made up. Walking over to once again face Mark, defiant, wanting … _needing_ to know why Mark was being so harsh to her, Steph stood in front of Mark's bike once more, blocking the sunlight from his view once again, while he nonchalantly attempted to make the bike crank, Stephanie's voice cutting into the air like a thief shrieking through the night.

"Mark, I'm not going back to Greenwich."

Looking up at Stephanie without much thought, Mark stated blankly, "I'm dropping you off at the airport in the morning. We both have early morning flights to catch."

Smiling from the disbelief one again, afraid that she would have to resort to drastic measures just in order to make Mark realize that she wasn't going anywhere, Stephanie, bending down, in order to be eye level with Mark, almost nose to nose with him, speaking to him as if he were a child or someone who was mentally incapable of understanding plain English, replied almost finally, "Mark, I don't know if it's from one too many bumps you've taken in your career, or if you really do believe what it is that you're saying, but hear this: I am NOT going back to Greenwich. "_We_," as she waved two fingers back and forth between the two, further emphasizing her words, continued, "Are going to get to the airport together alright, but it won't be for separate planes. This is a memo: I'm going to Kansas City _with_ you and I'll be damned if I don't."

"Well, you'll just be damned then." Mark replied instinctively, continuing to toy with the bike, not even so much as looking up at Stephanie.

"And I'll just have my ass right on a plane next to you on my way to Over the Edge. I guess we'll both be damned then."

"You are a very …"

Crank.

"Stubborn …"

Crank.

"Woman."

But with no luck from the engine, the thing simply refusing to start for him, Mark, irritated with his bike, frustrated that Stephanie was seemingly defying him, and exhausted a bit from all of the day's activities, Mark, without so much as a second glance back at Stephanie, walked back into the house nonchalantly, taking a bandana from the backside of his jeans and wiping his face with it, Stephanie following right behind him.

"Yes, Mark, I am a woman. _Your_ woman. I just don't understand why you are saying all of these things to me. You don't want me here?"

Walking over to the double door refrigerator, grabbing a bottle of water, and taking a huge swig out of it, Mark, again, without even turning around to acknowledge Stephanie, replied as Plain Jane-like as possible, "What I want and what I need are entirely two different things."

Tears were almost streaming down Stephanie's face at this point her heart was breaking so badly. She was beyond hurt and confused. This morning, Mark had had hot sex with her, told her that she was his, he had declared her Stephanie Calaway even, but now all of the sudden, he didn't want her? In essence, Mark was trying to throw Stephanie away like a sack of trash, and it hurt like hell!

"So, this is it? This is how you really want to end things? Mark, I've already told you: I'm not going anywhere," Steph said while she attempted to choke back tears. "I mean, I don't know why you're doing this to me."

It seemed as if this last bit finally caught on to Mark, because it was the first time during this entire conversation where he regarded Stephanie as if she were human. And if it's one thing Mark hated, especially when he had his mind made up to do something, he hated for his resolve to melt, but seeing Stephanie like this broke even him down, and he never broke.

With her arms wrapped tightly around herself, her head turned, as to obviously keep Mark from seeing the hot tears that were steadily falling down her face, Mark walked around the island to where Stephanie stood, sighing as he walked to her.

_"God, I hate seeing her like this,"_ Mark thought to himself intimately. But in his mind, he was doing the best thing he could for her.

Rubbing her arms gently, as she continued to look away from him, sniffling, feeling as if her heart was breaking into the smallest of fragments, Mark slowly turned Stephanie's head back towards his, and the look he received in return was haunting.

In short, Mark didn't have feelings for anyone, save only for a select few individuals. And even then he didn't show it; it just wasn't a part of his nature. And while he truly did like some, there were plenty of others who Mark adamantly despised.

Steph on the other hand didn't fall into either category.

He, no matter how hard he tried, just couldn't keep his mind off of her. In truth, Mark truly did love Stephanie, but their separation, even only temporary, made him question his worth as the leader of the Ministry.

The original plan for he and Stephanie's marriage was simple: as Mark's new wife, Stephanie would essentially become his new Stepford wife. Would it have taken a lot of effort? Of course, after all, Stephanie was a woman first, a McMahon second, however, he wanted her, more or less, to be submissive to him in every sense of the word, to do whatever he wanted of her at any given moment; in short, Mark wanted complete mental and spiritual control over Stephanie. That was the original plan, and along the way, plans quickly fell through when he actually began reciprocating feelings for Stephanie back.

When he made Stephanie cry in front of Angel all those weeks ago, even though it wasn't supposed to, seeing her cry like that, her afraid for her safety, hit him like a ton of bricks.

Right before that whole thing played out, he and Angel were just out in the backyard planning on how to manipulate Stephanie further, but as soon as Mark saw Stephanie crying, it broke him down, and as the leader of the Ministry of Darkness, one of the strongest and dominant factions in the history of the World Wrestling Federation, he couldn't mix his personal feelings with business, and that's exactly what he had done.

And even that was only half of the truth.

Pushing Stephanie's arms to either side of her body, immediately, without hesitation, Stephanie, in complete tears now, buried her head in Mark's chest, crying profusely. She didn't want to leave Mark. It was that simple. She wanted to fight him on this stance, but if he didn't want her then …

Wrapping his arms around her tightly, Mark simply allowed Stephanie to bellow at his chest, the constant stream of tears from from her reddened eyes dampening his chest. He didn't want to hurt her like this, but if kept her around, he eventually would anyway, at least that's what Mark honestly believed in his mind anyway.

After two or three minutes of allowing Stephanie to wallow inside his arms, Mark began silently cooing her, something he'd do with a baby if he ever found himself in that situation.

As Stephanie attempted to talk through her tears, stumbling and hiccuping over her words, Mark continued to shush her, rubbing on her hair, back, and arms gently, before he finally broke, picking her up into his arms, her body lightly filling into the space, carrying her up the stairs and back into the master bedroom, with Mark honestly being astounded about how spotless the bedroom looked at that moment, everything, from new sheets on the bed, to all the rubbish on the floor, had been made over and cleaned up.

_"So that's what she was doing all that time." _

However, Mark found himself in an uncomfortable position now. He had to actually explain his position, explain his actions to Stephanie, and instead of forcing Stephanie to leave, he'd allow her the option of choosing to stay or go instead.

Placing Stephanie down on the bed lightly, Mark reached for the hem of Stephanie's t-shirt, flinging it to the foot of the bed, almost absentmindedly throwing it on the floor. And after all the trouble she had gone through in order to tidy things up today, that would be very careless on his part. Taking off her sneakers, and then making a beeline for her shorts, again, placing them at the foot of the bed, Mark slowly lifted Stephanie's body up from the mattress, removing the article of clothing.

On instinct, Stephanie, feeling Mark wanted sex, opened her legs to her husband, wanting to allow him entrance into her body, but after Mark slightly waved her off, whispering to her gently, "Not right now," it only then dawned on Stephanie that Mark wanted something _other_ than sex.

Lying besides her now, Mark tightly pulled Stephanie into his arms again, the sight of Stephanie tear battered face even having an effect on him. A few months ago, he couldn't have cared less about Stephanie's well-being; obviously things had changed.

"Steph, this is why I want you to go back to Greenwich. I'm no good for you."

Attempting to comprehend what Mark was telling her, Stephanie, shaking her head, trying to regain her sense of speech, replied within hiccups, "But I don't want anyone else. Mark, baby, I want you."

Of all the women Mark had slept with throughout the years, and there had been quite a few, from Angel to the random ring rat, Mark had never truly felt that any of those women wanted him for other than wanting him.

To him, there was always an ulterior motive that came to women, from money to wanting to live a certain lifestyle they had often fantasized about. Stephanie, even in her most rawest form, still wanted Mark for him and him only, and that meant something to him, despite the fact that he didn't want to show it.

Brushing her hair out of her face, caressing her smooth face under the palm of his hand, Mark, knowing this look of innocence from Stephanie right now was a huge turn on and a weakness for him, and to avoid the notion of sex at all costs, Mark removed his hand from her face, settling it down at his own body. He needed to get this point across and get it across quickly.

"Stephanie," Mark started, almost solemnly, "You may want me, but like I said, after a good bike ride, I thought about it: you don't _need_ me. I want the best for you, you understand me? I never want to hurt you, and I do feel that it would be best if you lived your life without me."

And that's just what Stephanie couldn't comprehend. All she thought about through her day was Mark, wanting to feel his embrace, his kiss. Just earlier he was told her essentially that she wasn't woman enough for him, now he was telling her that he wasn't man enough for _her_? Which one was it? Confused, hurt, despite so many emotions throttling through her, Stephanie, found the mental strength to sit up in the bed, regarding Mark face to face.

"Mark, you don't understand. I love you …

"

"I know that, Stephanie, but don't …"

"But don't push me away then. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather be with. Why are you telling me all this? First it was me, then it was you, Mark, you're never honest with me. You never offer me any clarity. Why do you feel like you aren't the one for me, because if it's not you, then who?"

Rubbing his hands over his face now, realizing that this discussion was going to be harder than he thought, Mark said, "Stephanie, when you left, I was a wreck. I drank too much, and just … honest, ok? I thought about you every waking second. And after having a talk with Angel …"

"The attorney?"

"Yeah, the attorney," Mark confirmed. "She said some things that put some shit on my mind, and looking back on it, she was right."

Confused as to why he was speaking to Angel about something as intimate as his marriage, Stephanie asked confusingly, "Well, what did she say? Mark, tell me I, need to know."

Rubbing his chin hair, leaning back agains the headboard of the bed, looking over at Stephanie, Mark started again, "Steph, I hire Angel because she's smart, and when she told me that I'd end up hurting you, running you off …"

Closing his eyes now, attempting to regain his focus, but God this was hard for him to do, Mark completed, "I don't want to continue to see you hurt. You deserve better than me."

While on one hand Stephanie was finally getting the truth out of Mark, about why he wanted to break up with her, she also could not believe that Angel would put these things into Mark's mind like this.

_"Just how messed up had he'd been for him to even contemplate anything that anyone else would say?" _Stephanie wondered.

Going back through her memories, Stephanie remembered on the night before she left back home for Greenwich, Angel, her hair long blonde hair streaking down her back, a change from her usual chignon, as Stephanie was coming down the stairs, packing her bags, there stood Angel in the middle of the foyer, looking for Mark.

And even though she was distraught, much like she was right now, Stephanie still attempted to put on a brave front in Angel's presence, whom, although gave Stephanie her "condolences" about she and Mark's breakup, in retrospect, Angel's entire demeanor told of a woman who couldn't be happier that Stephanie was exiting the picture!

Even as Stephanie was packing, she could've sworn she saw a smile flash across the woman's face, but after a few more glances in her direction, Stephanie concluded that it was only her nerves and imagination that made her believe Angel was smiling in the face of her pain.

But now … _NOW_ … the whore was attempting to sabotage Stephanie's relationship with Mark?

"_THAT BITCH!"_

Boiling anger replacing her sentiments of sadness, Steph, feeling so many different emotions, pain, sadness, anguish, anger, was just about to go on a verbal tirade, all directed at the blonde bitch Angel, when Mark interrupted her.

"Steph, I want you to be happy. I don't know if you can be happy with me. I don't like seeing you like this."

Quickly forgetting about Angel, she would have to deal with her later, shaking her head wildly, her locks flowing around her, Stephanie, in a world of emotional struggle, said the only thing she could say at the moment, the only thing that made sense to her. "I don't know what else you want me to say, Mark. I love you for you. I want to you for you. I want us for us. I'm preg …"

Trailing off, stopping herself before she revealed that she was pregnant with the couple's child, even though she desperately wanted to tell Mark about this, with him deserving to know, as this child's father, that his wife was expecting, right now, at this moment Stephanie couldn't. There was still too much at stake here.

If Mark felt that he were hurting Stephanie by having her live with him, Stephanie could only imagine what his feelings would be like if she revealed she were with child at the moment.

Regaining her thoughts, having to stay on message, taking slow deep breaths, both inwards and outwards, Stephanie, her cheeks ablaze with color, continued, "I'm _prepared_ to leave if that's what you want me to do. I don't want to force you to be with me."

Taking his hand again and smoothing her hair from around her face, leaning down to plant the smallest and simplest of kisses on her lips, Mark, shaking his own head now revealed, "No, Steph. I don't want you to go. But, the choice is up to you."

"Mark, you still don't get it. You're the only person in this world I want. I would never leave you on my own. I came back because I wanted you. I didn't even tell my mom. I just kinda up and left," with the last part only being half true, however.

While it was true that Linda had no earthly idea that Steph had left back for Houston when she did, Vince had convinced her, swore on her grandfather's, Vince Sr.'s grave, that he would make Linda see things his way, that he would somehow convince Stephanie that by her returning to Houston, it would all benefit the family as a whole, and even though that would be a fete within itself, Steph, knowing how badly her leaving would hurt Linda, had to make a conscious decision, and that decision was to return home back to Houston … her real home now.

With a lone tear escaping her eyes, afraid she'd burst into tears again at any moment, Stephanie, with finality in her voice, almost begged, "Please don't make me go back."

It was at this moment that things, finally, were coming into perspective for Mark. No matter how much of a dick he was to this woman, he could not break her. He couldn't break her will, couldn't break her resolve, and he definitely couldn't break Stephanie's incessant love for him, either.

He and Stephanie had fought tooth and nail to get to this point in their lives, and while many women would have simply upped and left weeks ago, Stephanie stayed. She stayed because she wanted to, not because she had to. Her love for this man knew no bounds.

So now Mark found himself at another crossroads: either ask Stephanie to stay or ask Stephanie to leave. His choice, even though it negated words, was more simple.

Gathering his wife in his arms, Mark, maneuvering Stephanie's body on top of his, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and head, looking down into the deep eyes of the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, Stephanie simply rested her head on top of Mark's chest, allowing the rest of the tears she had bottled up inside of her to continue to pour out.

There was no thinking, no sex, no love making, either. Just finality.

Mark and Stephanie had made their decision.


	64. Room for Two

"Ms. McMahon? Would you like a pillow for your seat, ma'am?"

Stephanie, finding herself once again staring blankly off into space, this time from the window seat of the airplane she had recently boarded, was so distracted with the various emotions and thoughts from the previous day, that she honestly did not hear the flight attendant's request for a pillow until she lightly began tapping on her shoulder.

Shaking her head, as to clear the cobwebs, Stephanie, looking up at the smiling woman, who could honestly pass for a model were she not dressed in a American Airline's uniform, said quickly, "Um, yes ma'am, please, thank you."

Brushing her now flat-ironed hair away from her face, Stephanie, wearing a plain pink blouse, white and pink floral skirt, along with a pair of black flats, exhaled deeply, falling back into the comfortable seat, turning her head to watch the airport's busy runways.

So much had gone on between Stephanie and Mark within the last 24-hours that she almost didn't know how to cope. What she needed was an outlet, a friend or two she could spill her inner most secrets to, from the proposition her father had made to her, to the issues she was having with Mark, to her now being pregnant, but seeing as though Samantha McCall and Co. had successfully 86'd her from the clique, other than God, there was no other person she could to talk to, and God pretty much had his hands full with the rest of the world.

As several planes on other runways took off into the sky, some even landing, Stephanie daydreamed about somehow transforming into an airplane herself. When things were good, she'd land, somewhere remote and peaceful, but when things were too hectic, like they were in her life right now, she'd take off to somewhere better, to somewhere where she could relax. However, seeing as though running wasn't on the McMahon Family's coat of arms, she'd just have to deal with her problems on her own for now.

Another stewardess, who looked very exotic, Brazilian probably, with long, thick brown hair falling about her shoulders, with a killer body to match, her curves creating a whole set of other curves in her AA uniform, presented Stephanie with a breakfast menu, which offered a wide meal selection, from bran cereal, topped with fresh fruit, to omelettes, served with a side of turkey bacon, to even mimosas, although Stephanie would have to skip the mimosa for obvious reasons, the menu and all of its delicious options were quite tempting.

The flight was only going to be about an hour and a half, and while Steph initially thought about skipping breakfast, since she honestly wasn't hungry, with her being pregnant, she immediately thought otherwise, even if she were still too early into her nine months for anyone to outwardly notice the growing child within her.

Lying back into the seat, Stephanie's mind recounted the events from the night prior. After she and Mark had the discussion about her going back "home" to Greenwich, the pair, with Mark doing all the cooking, sat down and talked for the longest of times, chiefly discussing their unhinged marriage, which could honestly fall off said hinges at any moment.

And yes, there were more tears spilled, obviously from Stephanie, during their over dinner conversation. Stephanie really didn't want to go back to Greenwich. She wasn't even all that concerned about Vince being disappointed in her, since she "didn't get the job done". In all honesty, in her frame of mind at the moment, Vince could be damned, because she didn't come back to Houston for Vince; she came back for Mark, for his love, his companionship, but what she got instead frightened her. What she got instead was the reality of her marriage.

Getting lost with all the commotion that was happening outside on the runway, as she aimlessly looked out the passenger window, Stephanie began to envision scenarios that she knew more than likely would never come true, mostly being, Vince and Mark somehow having an amicable relationship, her being able to raise she and Mark's now growing family in harmony, and finally having the security that should have came with the sanctity of marriage.

As another passenger sat next to her, Steph, her mind wandering all over the place again, once more had the monotony of her worrying thoughts interrupted.

"You know the window seat is usually mines, right?" Mark asked darkly, pushing his black sunglasses to the top of his head, his green eyes openly sneering at his wife.

_"God," _Stephanie thought almost in amazement. _"I could get lost in those things."_

Stephanie, a window seat fan herself, finally found herself smiling today, giggling back playfully, "Slowpokes like you usually don't get window seats."

Tugging Stephanie's into him lightly, Mark met Stephanie almost nose to nose, almost vowing, "I'll show you slow."

Leaning over, Mark gently planted his lips onto Stephanie's, the two simply embracing in each other. With Mark massaging his hands into Stephanie's hips, all Stephanie could think about was this moment, this warm, loving, passionate moment she was spending with the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. All she could think about was this moment.

There were no outside thoughts, fears, nor doubts to clout her mind now. She was intently focused on the man who was kissing her.

As Mark continued their lip lock, longer than Stephanie intended, after all, there were other passengers, albeit few in numbers, in the first class cabin, who could vividly see their lip exchange, only mere seconds later, Stephanie found out exactly _why_ Mark was kissing her for so long.

As Mark continued to massage Stephanie's hips within his fingers, the tingling sensation making Stephanie grow wet with arousal, Mark suddenly gripped her hips a bit harder, and before she knew it, Steph was seated in the seat next to the aisle-way; Mark, on the other hand, was in the seat next to the window!

Sitting back casually as if nothing happened, Mark grabbed his CD player's headphones, allowing them to rest comfortably onto his ears, while Stephanie sat in her new seat flabbergasted.

_"How did he do that?"_

Taking her fist and punching Mark squarely in the arm, the move even surprising her, since she considered herself a lady and didn't employ physical violence into her repertoire, Steph, in shock, asked with surprise covering her entire face, "How am _I here_?" Steph demanded, pointing down to her seat, with some of the other passengers towards their direction, obviously taking exception to the heightened volume of her voice. "How are _you there_?"

Chuckling under his breath, as he placed his glasses back down his face, Stephanie, in a huff, child-like almost, folded her arms together and stuck out her lips.

Unlike many of the other "friends" she had grown up with back in Greenwich, Stephanie wasn't entitled to very much in life. Sure, she had the best education money could buy, along with clothes, accessories, etc., but she wasn't entitled.

In fact, it was only a few years ago that Stephanie was modeling merchandise for the old Raw Magazines and the new WWF website the company had recently launched, before being employed as an accountant in Stanford, and even then, she had to successfully compete for the position just like the other candidates had to. There wasn't an ounce of nepotism in Vince McMahon's body, and Stephanie knew of this fact personally. Even Shane had his big start in the business as a referee!

However, if there was one thing that made the inner spoiled brat come out of her, screaming and kicking the entire way, was not having a premium window seat. This bugged her like no other.

"Ms. McMahon?" The first stewardess called to Stephanie, almost startling her, as Stephanie was still in heavy thought about literally having her seat jacked.

"I have your pillow for you, ma'am. Would you like me to position it behind your neck or back for you, ma'a,?"

"Oh, please, thank you," Stephanie said humbly. Taking her mind off the window seat for the moment, Stephanie sat up in the seat, allowing the flight attendant to comfortably position the pillow behind her neck. After all of the crying she had done the night prior, the crook on the inside of her neck was really starting to annoy her, so a good pillow and comfortable seating was all she needed to relax. It wasn't a window seat, but Stephanie knew that Mark would not budge from his new position, so she'd have to make due with the seat she had for now.

"Hey, um, lady," Mark called to the stewardess, who was about to check on another passenger.

"Yes, sir," the smiling stewardess returned. "How may I assist you?"

"It's Mrs. Calaway." Mark corrected bluntly, causing Stephanie to return glances between the obviously bemused flight attendant and Mark, who looked about as serious as a heart attack behind his dark shades. Obviously not understanding the inference, although Stephanie's boarding pass did read, "McMahon, Stephanie", the flight attendant offered a polite, "Pardon?", completely bewildered by what Mark was referring to.

Pointing to Stephanie, then reaching over to hold up her left hand, exposing her wedding and engagement rings, Mark corrected once more. "Her name is _Mrs_. Calaway."

Obviously a bit flustered by Mark's frankness, the stewardess, swallowing hard, was able in the end to bring about a smile to her face, nodding a few times, as she stood corrected. "Of course, sir. I do apologize for the error. Is there anything else I could possibly offer you, _Mr_. Calaway?"

"Nope." And with that, Mark placed his headphones back over his head, and turned his attention back to his CD player, while the stewardess, smiling awkwardly at Stephanie, walked away from the couple, but not before exchanging a puzzled look back at the two. Stephanie, looking over at Mark, shocked, nudged him in the arm a bit to gather his attention. She wasn't mad that Mark had corrected the flight attendant, that meant that the two of them were really back on good terms, or at least Stephanie wanted to believe that, but she also couldn't hide her own confusion about the incident, either. Obviously, Mark could tell exactly what Steph was thinking.

"I mean, you're not?" he asked, as devilishly cool as he always was.

"Of course, I am, it's just that …"

"So, I'm right." And with that, Mark entangled Stephanie's fingers into his own, returning his focus back to his CD player yet again, while Stephanie looked back on at him coyly.

It was just something about him that turned her on like one else ever had. No matter if she had literally been swindled out of her window seat, there was something about the man, Mark Calaway himself, that enthused Stephanie beyond all reasonable self-control. She was like a school girl almost having a crush on the hot, older teacher.

"Passengers, we will be departing George Bush Intercontinental Airport in five minutes. Please adjust your safety belts accordingly if you have not already done so. We will arrive in Kanas City, Missouri in one hour, thirty five minutes. Thank you for choosing American Airlines."

After making sure she was all buckled in, Stephanie slowly lowered her head onto her husband's shoulder, who was also looking back down at his wife fondly. No, things were far from perfect between the two, but this would ultimately have to do for now.

* * *

><p>If the fans that were gathered outside the Kanas City Downtown Marriott were any indication about how hot the professional wrestling product in the WWF was at the moment, then many of the superstars were simply on fire, because on a Saturday, a whole twenty four hours plus before the start of Sunday Night Heat, and eventually, Over the Edge, the outside of the hotel was packed with fans, to the point where several police officers had to be called in by the hotel to patrol the streets and to ensure the safety of the performers. Things were just that crazy.<p>

What made things even more bizarre was the fact that some shock jock thought it would be a good idea, after somehow discovering where a few of the performers were staying for the show, to announce the information to his live radio audience. And here Mark and Stephanie were, in the back seat of their chauffeured rental, attempting to slowly make their way into the hotel's loading area.

For Stephanie, growing up in the professional wrestling business, wild and crazy fans came with the territory. She mentally recounted how on one international tour, a group of loyal fans, for an entire week straight, followed Shawn Michaels, Diesel, Razor Ramon, Triple H, and the 123 Kid from town to town. She also heard about the BeetleMania like reception the superstars received at their recent UK only PPV, but this absolutely took the cake.

But with Mark being an extreme introvert, these kind of fan encounters bugged the hell out of him. He didn't like his photo being taken, he took his privacy extremely seriously, and if he could only wrap his fingers around Marcus "The Smart Mark's" neck, if only for a few seconds, he absolutely would.

Getting to the hotel was a bitch, but the fact that the hotel was also late cleaning the couple's room was another thing entirely. So instead of simply going to their room, relaxing, and spending some quality time with each other, before Mark eventually had to go to the arena, along with making plans for tomorrow's show, the two had to spend part of their time in the hotel's lobby, and having those nauseating and headache causing cameras flashing on and off in broad daylight just made Mark's mood even worse.

Stephanie on the other hand tried to be optimistic about their ordeal, but the fact that several other superstars, who also were also checking into their rooms, kept looking over at her, as if she were the Plague, brought rosiness to her cheeks. For sure, it was all because of Mark, and since no one wanted to feel his wrath, everyone simply remained quiet, but the awkward glances she was receiving bothered her. It made her feel strange. She wasn't used to people simply ignoring her.

For many of the superstars, with Vince being their boss, Stephanie felt that some of the wrestlers, just in order to stay in Vince's good graces, felt compelled to speak or otherwise hold a brief, yet friendly conversation with her every now and again. It would help keep them on the card. She knew this and acknowledged this. With Mark being in complete control of the company, however, it was in the superstars' absolute best interest to steer clear of Stephanie at any and all costs, and while Stephanie too realized this, it also hurt her feelings.

After a short ten minute wait, the pair were finally able to check into their hotel room, which had a gorgeous view of Kansas City. Once inside, Stephanie and Mark didn't even bother unpacking. They simply took off their shoes and lay in bed together. Once again, no sex, no love making; they simply embraced one another, another thing Stephanie loved so much about Mark.

There wasn't the constant need for to have sex with her just in order to show how much Mark cared for her; he showed her these things in other ways.

The night before, because Steph and Mark stayed up for hours talking with each other, the pair were unable to get any sleep. They managed to talk for so long that before they knew it, the sun was rising, and Mark had to catch a flight to Kansas City. And with the decision from both of them that Stephanie were to remain in Houston, Steph had to work over time just in order to find a last minute seat on the same flight as Mark to accompany him to the show.

And with so much transpiring between the two of them in the last day alone, both Mark and Stephanie were exhausted, mentally and physically, so simply lying there with each other, with Marks' strong arms wrapped lovingly around his wife, as they both drifted off to sleep, was something they both relished in. It was ideal.

A few hours after drifting off to sleep, the rattling in her stomach suggesting that a good meal was in need, Stephanie slowly opened her eyes, finding herself unwrapped from Mark's massive frame. Obviously, Mark was either in the hotel's gym training or he had gone to the arena before the show, which is what everyone did. There were many things that needed to be done before a live event, and no doubt, Mark more than likely had a trick or two up his sleeve when it came to his match against Stone Cold Steve Austin.

As Stephanie slowly raised from the bed, groggy from her nap, she carefully scanned the room while she stretched her arms and legs out, noting how Mark had taken his bag with him, only leaving Stephanie's two bags alone in the room. Placing her feet on the floor and walking around, Stephanie quickly realized that she was all alone in this huge 2-room suite. And although she felt it was too early along in her pregnancy to feel hormonal, she suddenly felt lonely.

There was no Mark, no Vince, no one from the Ministry, and she wasn't under duress, either. The last time she was left alone in a hotel room like this, she and Saphirra engaged in a very awkward conversation, and before that, she was attempting to sneak out of Mark's hotel room up until he caught her. So now that she was all alone in a room, by herself, without any sort of constraints from anyone or anything, she felt weird. It was almost as if she had accustomed herself to conflict, and that couldn't be good, either.

Sitting on the side of the bed, Stephanie picked up a piece of laminated paper, which had a list of numbers printed on it, including an extension to the hotel's front desk. She didn't see a number for room service, and since she was starving, Steph picked up the receiver of the telephone to hopefully find a solution for her growling stomach.

As Stephanie breathed into the phone, about to dial the extension, a man's voice called out from the other end.

"Steph? Steph … you there?"

There was a voice, a raspy, almost inaudible voice, calling out to Stephanie from the other side of the receiver … and it scared her shitless! She hadn't even dialed her number yet, so how … why … was someone on the other end of the phone calling her name?

Nervously, Stephanie answered back, "Who is this? How did you get this number?"

"Is Mark around?" the voice asked again, clearly knowing all too much about Stephanie's situation. Was it one of the superstars calling to check up on her? They did all looked frightened when she and Mark were downstairs. Maybe it was one of them, attempting to rescue her, perhaps.

"I don't have time to ask again," the voice added forcefully. Stephanie, nervous about the nature of the call replied sharply herself, attempting to sound as straightforward as possible, "Who is this?"

"This is your father, Stephanie." Behind this followed two coughs, along with a swallow of some sort of liquid that Stephanie took for water. Her heart felt like it had fallen into her stomach.

How in the world did Vince know what hotel she was sleeping in? She hadn't spoken with Vince since she left Greenwich. How did he know what room she was in? Mark never booked hotel rooms under his name; it was always under the name of some guise, and Stephanie didn't check into the room under her name, either, so how in the world did Vince know she was here? Surely, Vince hadn't listened to Marcus "The Smart Mark's" radio show, had he?

"Look," Vince managed coarsely, obviously still in a lot of pain from the attack from Mark and the Ministry. "Steph. I need to know if everything is going according to plan. Is Mark near you right now?"

Shocked that her father was on the other end of the line, Stephanie couldn't even properly formulate a sentence, that'a how deep her shock ran through her. She didn't know what to say. Here she was, planning to get something to eat, and now Vince was on the other end of the phone with her!

"Stephanie," Vince called out yet again, his voice sounding as if she were chewing on gravel, stated urgently, "Stephanie, I need to know what's going on between you and Mark. Have you moved forward with anything?"

"No, dad, he doesn't …" Stephanie said quietly, anxiously noting her surroundings.

While she was certain she was all alone, if Mark, or any of the other members of the Ministry for that matter, snuck up behind her and found out that she was in potential cahoots with her father, even if she wasn't planning on doing anything remotely close to hurting Mark, Stephanie knew that would spell the definite end for her marriage, along with the end of Vince's ownership of the company; Mark would sell to the first person he saw! Remorse wasn't an emotion he felt, but revenge was always a forte he excelled at.

"Answer, Stephanie." Vince demanded, clearly impatient for answers.

Stephanie had never heard her father speak to her like this before, as if he were in a rabid rush. Sure, there were business meetings and phone calls that Vince often had to take, however, Stephanie couldn't recall even once when things felt as forced between she and her father like it felt at the moment.

Still astonished to hear her father's voice, Stephanie answered, "Dad, he doesn't know anything. How did you find me here?"

"Don't worry about that," Vince remarked quickly.

There were so many questions Steph wanted to ask her father, from the well-being of her mother, who must have been beside herself after Stephanie left, to Shane's physical health, to Vince's own physical health, to wanting to know more about this charade she was almost being forced to put on, but there wasn't much time for talking. Vince wanted answers, and that's pretty much all that he was concerned about at the moment.

"Just make sure Mark doesn't catch on to anything, you understand? This family's, _my_ livelihood in on the line here, Stephanie, and whether you know it or not, _we're_ all counting on you. We _need_ you."

And just like that, Stephanie suddenly felt the weight of the world once again crashing down upon her shoulders. Yes, Vince did have a lot to lose if Mark somehow ended up selling the sacred shares of the company. Yes, if Mark did, there would be no telling what the state of professional wrestling industry would be like after that point. And yes, Stephanie did want to protect her family at all costs, but sabotaging her own marriage was not the way to go about this. But without giving herself away, what other option did Stephanie have? She was truly in a no win situation with this.

"Stephanie, I need to know that you can do this, Princess. I need it …"

Coughing again, this time harsher, louder, longer, Vince, clearing his throat the best he could, sounding as if some old antique car from the 40s were attempting to crank, managed through repeated coughs "… That you are fully on board."

"Dad, yes," Stephanie almost wanted to snap.

Vince hadn't even bothered to ask if she were ok or not. All he cared about was this stupid plan, and Steph was already sick to death of all the hoops she was having to jump through just in order to make everyone but herself happy. "

He doesn't know. He doesn't," Steph repeated, obviously irritated with this whole scenario.

"Ok," Vince said as he breathed a careful sigh of relief, as he finally managed to quell his nearly incessant coughing. "Just make sure that everything continues to go according to plan."

"Yes, I know. I love you." But before Steph could even get the last three words out of her mouth, Vince had already ended the call.

Staring down at the receiver, Stephanie really felt like breaking down in tears. Why was her father putting her in this position? What had she done, on both fronts, to deserve the treatment she was receiving?

As she slowly turned around, wiping the two tears that had unknowingly slid down her face, there behind her, with long straightened black hair, wearing a mesh, off the shoulder blouse, with a black lace bra protecting her breasts underneath, skintight black leather jeans, and black leather ankle booties stood Saphirra, who looked as deranged as ever.

Jumping, Stephanie, not realizing this mad woman was even behind her, who was smiling from ear to ear, leaning forward, as if she had been listening to Stephanie's conversation the entire time, attempted to mask her fear with apparent anger. After all, Saphirra was the one who had bombarded _her_ hotel room.

"How in the hell did you get in here?" Stephanie asked furiously, not believing how Saphirra, whom had done so many awful things to her, and had even physically harmed her mother, had the nerve to be in her room, in her presence.

_"The nerve of this bitch!"_

Chuckling underneath her breath, smiling openly, Stephanie saw that insane-like glimmer in Saphirra's eyes yet again, and knew instantly that even though she had been gone for a few days, and Mark had subsequently threatened to punish Saphirra after their row in the hotel room back in San Diego, _nothing_ had changed with this woman.

In fact, Stephanie was afraid that after all of those things, along with her having a huge impact in the decision that was made at No Mercy UK, Saphirra's mental decline had only heightened.

While Stephanie had studied Communications as her major at Boston University, she also studied a bit of psychology, as well for her undergraduate studies, and from the tapes that Mark had shown Ryan, of him isolating Ryan from the outside world, depriving Ryan of her family and friends, controlling her physical surroundings, effectively making Ryan depend on him for every solitary thing, and instilling in her all of the Ministry's unwritten bylaws, and fears, if Ryan failed to even once not satisfy him, only reinforced in Stephanie what she had known for quite some time now: Ryan had been brainwashed, and if her womanly instincts were correct, quite in love with Mark, too!

That is something she had to put a stop to.

Laughing out right now, not even attempting to hide her sick amusement, Saphirra suddenly stopped as quick as the onslaught of diabolical laughter came, holding up a Marriott hotel key card, dangling it back and forth between her fingers. Stephanie, still furious at Saphirra's treatment of her mother, attempted to snatch the card out of her hand, but Saphirra, much like her master, had the reflexes of a cat, yanking the keycard away from Stephanie almost instantly.

Smiling through closed lips, donning a death-like lip color, Saphirra slowly began walking around Stephanie, as Stephanie in turn walked in the opposite direction, never taking her eyes off the clearly disturbed woman.

"Who ya talking to?" Saphirra said in a huff, smiling widely, almost in a baby-esque voice.

Obviously, Saphirra had heard something from the conversation she had had with her father, Stephanie just didn't know what. Not one to be intimidated by this perverse woman, Stephanie replied, "None of your damn business. Now get the hell out of me room!"

And with that, Stephanie stopped circling Saphirra, pointing her hand in the direction of the door, clearly ordering the girl out. She was pregnant, and if she didn't want to risk the life of her unborn child, Saphirra would be picking her teeth up off the floor right about now, but that's a risk she wasn't willing to take at the moment.

Taking her own finger and wagging it from side to side, Saphirra countered, in a voice resembling that to a Marilyn Monroe or even a small child; it was very breathy and deliberate.

"Ah, ah, ah. Not sho fwast yittle Stephy. I came to check on Master's wittle bwaby. But I'm sure he wouldn't like it if I told him you were speaking to someone behind his back, now would he?"

Gulping, Stephanie had the mind to slap Saphirra, right then, right there, but that surely wouldn't end well. Standing there, watching Ryan's smile almost crease to the moon, Saphirra continued speaking as if she were in a library. "I idn't think sho. Now, tell me who it wush, and I pwomise shu, your punishment for disobeying won't be as harsh as you think it's going to be. Master's really a fair man if you think about it."

On top of having all of her issues play out, one after the other after the other for her, here was Ryan Shamrock, Saphrira, or whatever the hell it was she was calling herself these days, attempting to extort her!

Sure, Mark would be very upset if he found out she was talking to Vince, and yes, that would add more issues to their already plagued marriage, but could she not use the phone? Had Mark sent Ryan up to their room to spy on her? What was going on? Thinking on her toes, Stephanie replied slowly, flipping her long hair from about her face.

"Well, _bitch_, if you must know," Stephanie said, adding extra force behind her expletive, causing Ryan to squint her eyes in disdain, her lip curling up in disgust, but suddenly twitching in a evil smirk, "I was speaking to my mother."

Excited that she had seemingly caught Stephanie in the act of what would surely be taken as treason, Saphirra, almost jumping in the air from the pure jubilation, abandoning the baby talk screamed out, pointing her long black fingernail right in Stephanie's face, "Ha! I knew it! I knew it! Just wait until Master hears …"

"Hears what?" And with that, Stephanie descended upon Saphirra so quickly the girl almost didn't have time to prepare herself, with Stephanie, thanks to Ryan's heels, staring nose to nose with the girl.

With Saphirra throwing the keycard against the wall, had anyone else been in the room, they probably would've separated these two from having another fight. But instead of getting physical with each other, both women, intent on intimidation, relentlessly stared each other down, with Saphirra, with a cackle that could raise the dead, the first to break.

… And she laughed. It was the strangest, most diabolical, outside of hearing Mark's, laugh Stephanie had ever heard.

_"What is wrong with this woman?"_

Continuing to laugh, Saphirra, reaching her hand out to touch a lock of Stephanie's hair, had her hand smacked away by Stephanie, before finally putting a halt to her demonic cackling, only leaving cruel intentions upon her face.

"Oh, silly, silly Stephanie. Daddy's little girl," Saphirra taunted, as Stephanie continued to stare a black hole through Kenny's little sister.

"Why won't Master just ship you back to wherever the fuck it is that you came from?"

Continuing her diatribe, Saphirra continued, leaning into Stephanie's ear now, whispering lightly, "Do you honestly think that Master is going to allow you to talk to that _bitch_ freel …"

At the mere mention of Saphirra equating her mother to that dastardly word, Stephanie attempted to almost launch herself at Saphirra, attempting to wring her throat. Unfortunately for Stephanie, however, Saphirra knew exactly which buttons to push, and before Stephanie knew it, Saphirra had completely dodged her assault, as fluid on her feet as ghost

With Stephanie's cheeks flaring a deep crimson red, wanting to strangle the life out of Saphirra, the girl let out another burst of maniacal laughter, obviously having fun with the mental games she was playing with Stephanie.

"I can't wait to see what Master does to you," Saphirra continued, circling the table, while Stephanie, silently, stalked her counterclockwise. She wanted to do bodily harm to this woman in the worst way possible!

"You deserve it! I'm_ the_ most loyal member of the Ministry. You have failed Master over and over and over again, and when you get yours …" Saphirra commented through gritted teeth, as she and Stephanie still circled the table. "… I will thoroughly enjoy every single second of it. I deserve …"

And with that, the door to the hotel room began to slowly open, both ladies turning their attention to the doorway. Wearing all black, his dark shades once again masking his eyes, Mark slowly walked through the door, throwing his key card on one of the awaiting sofas. Throwing his bag down onto the floor, as well, as Mark slowly entered the room more, Stephanie could see Saphirra across the table, flashing a maddening smile from ear to ear.

Although Stephanie had told Saphirra that she was speaking to Linda, she still didn't have any idea whatsoever about how much of the conversation this demented woman had actually heard, and if she could successfully recount the conversation or not. If she could then …

Mark, walking into the bedroom, feasted his eyes on the scene, and while his shades mostly covered his expression, his face scrunching up at the potential scene that was taking place in front of him spoke volumes. Taking a second glance to survey the scene, Mark finally asked, as Stephanie and Saphirra waited anxiously to speak.

"You two good?" Of course, he knew they weren't, the tension in the room revealed as much.

Secretly Mark was hoping that the two were rehearsing lines from _Othello_ or something along those lines, anything but another round of fighting and clawing. Yes, both Saphirra and Stephanie hated each other, and yes, they were both prideful women, one a doting wife, the other a dutiful servant, but for the sake of the Ministry, he needed these two of them to get along.

Saphirra, straightening her shoulders, with one of the most wicked smiles on her face that Stephanie had ever seen, from man or woman, gleefully stated, focusing her attention on Mark, "Well, _Master_," glaring back over at Stephanie. "After you told me to check on Ms. _McMahon_, I found her on the telephone."

"The telephone?" Mark asked sarcastically, clearly unimpressed.

"Yes, the telephone," Saphirra answered truthfully, completely unaware of the sarcasm laced in Mark's voice. "It was _whom_ she was talking to that should be most interesting to hear, Master. Tell him. Or would you like me to do the honors?"

As Mark slowly moved his sunglasses from his eyes to the top of his head, allowing his fingers to rest on his chin, he, a man who thrived on controlled chaos, couldn't think of anything else but peace at the moment. The constant back and forth between these two was really starting to get on his nerves, and with his match with Austin nearing closer and closer, Mark really didn't feel like officiating another brawl between the two most important women in his life at the moment.

"So," Mark asked impatiently, throwing his hands up in the air, looking over at Stephanie, while Saphirra continued to smirk on devilishly; she just couldn't wait until Stephanie was punished! "Who was it?"

Looking over at Saphirra with utter disdain, wanting so badly just to have one last go with sure spawn of Satan, Stephanie, never taking her eyes off of Ryan, refusing to even blink, uttered out clearly, wanting her to hear every last word, "My mother."

Knowing that this would truly be the end of Stephanie, after all, the McMahon's _were_ an enemy to the Ministry, and since Stephanie was technically still was one, even if she was married to Mark, that meant she couldn't be trusted in Saphirra's eyes, either.

Rubbing his chin, watching Stephanie watch Saphirra, who in turn was heaving at the chest, nearly foaming at the mouth from excitement, almost too impatient to find out what was about to happen to Stephanie, Mark, looking at his wife intently, replied nonchalantly, "That's it?"

Saphirra, who before looked almost vampire like, ready to chomp at the bit, upon hearing Mark's words, cast an astonished double take back over at Mark and Stephanie, mouth falling agape, her brown eyes dilating instantly, while the grin on Stephanie's face couldn't be surgically removed.

"Wait …. wh-what .. huh? But … she …"

"… Has my permission to speak to Linda," Mark stated mildly. Meanwhile, Stephanie walked closer to her husband, wrapped her arms around Mark lovingly, then slowly rested her head on his right shoulder, never once taking her eyes off Saphirra, who in turn looked as if she were about to hit the ceiling, or pass out, whichever one came first.

About to protest, Saphirra threw daggers at Stephanie with her eyes which could easily kill, before returning her attention back to Mark, who shot her down her near objection with a daring look of own, silently warning Saphirra not to question him.

Obedience was key in the Ministry, and Saphirra was much too smart to question Mark, even if she did feel he was making a poor decision by keeping Stephanie around.

Acknowledging that she had momentarily lost a battle in her ongoing war with Stephanie, Saphirra quickly exchanged a dirty look back over at Stephanie, before departing from the room entirely, almost slamming the door as she exited, however, thinking better of it at the end. Mark could be vicious with punishments when he wanted to be.

Looking down at Stephanie, who was now attempting to look as innocent as possible, Mark gave a low chuckle, kissing Stephanie on the cheek, before walking into the bathroom, Stephanie, widely smiling herself now, knowing she had gotten the better of Saphirra yet again, followed silently behind her husband.

* * *

><p>The night before Over the Edge, since every fan in the city more than likely knew about the sleeping arrangements of the superstars, Mark and Stephanie decided, to avoid the obvious crowds, that they'd just eat inside their hotel room instead of going out. Since the hotel didn't offer any in-room dining options, Stephanie combed the Yellow Pages for a decent take-out service. They settled on The Instant Dragon, and bellied up on nearly everything on the menu, from Moo Goo Gai Pan to egg rolls to steamed dumplings to all sorts of noodles.<p>

Being a wrestler, Mark always seemed to avoid foods high in carbs and starch, especially before a big pay-per-view such as Over the Edge, but he honestly didn't care tonight. He ate what he wanted to eat, spent time with Stephanie, and then began going over the final details of his bout with Austin. With all the power in his being, Mark was going to be absolutely certain that Stone Cold would not leave out of Kansas City as the WWF Champion.

As the Ministry convened on the hotel's living room, Mark silently ask Stephanie to exit, which caused a small smirk to form on the side of Saphirra's lips. It wasn't that Mark didn't trust Stephanie; if he didn't trust her, she wouldn't be in his presence at the moment, but he wanted to keep Stephanie out of official WWF business as much as possible, as well.

He remembered how much he had hurt her when Dean and Matthew paid his home a visit a few weeks ago, and the feeling of guilt wasn't something he wanted to become accustomed with, so to avoid that, along with keeping his wife as safe as possible, he had to keep her as ignorant as possible, as cold as that sounded. It was for the best for everyone involved.

Hours passed before the Ministry finally left the couple's room, with Stephanie having no idea about the plans Mark was making with Austin. And not knowing what her husband was up to drove her up a wall.

Stephanie recalled all the times her Uncle Pat and Jerry would stay up with late with her father, making plans on how to one up Stone Cold, and even then, the secrecy of it all incensed her. It was that inner McMahon that made her naturally suspicious. And with Vince being an absolute control freak over the affairs of the WWF, Stephanie didn't find it easy sitting all alone in the bedroom, waiting for Mark and the Ministry to finish scheming.

She even tried to snoop by placing her ear up against the door, attempting to hear anything, but Mark, having the sixth sense of no mere mortal, told Viscera to open the door suddenly, knocking lose her balance, falling right onto her traveling bag in the process.

After taking a shower together, Mark took extra care of Stephanie's body, lathering her with one of the towels, massaging her breasts, nibbling at her neck, and finally, slowly, thrusting himself inside of her, wanting to savor every last aching moment, their sex lasting for at least a half an hour before Mark and Stephanie finally climaxed with each other. Afterwards, the two wrapped each other up in the other's embrace, kissing and admiring the other before finally succumbing to sleep.

The next morning, it was the day of the pay-per-view, and Stephanie, feeling the slight sting of sunlight in her eyes, despite the curtain being drawn, and the coldness of an empty bed, indicating that Mark had already awaken, couldn't help but to feel nauseous.

For one, she was very nervous about Over the Edge and Mark's bout with Austin. For some reason, something just felt _off_ to her. She never felt like this before.

Maybe if was the fact that with tonight's stipulation, if Mark won, Austin could never challenge for the title again; he'd have to go to the back of the line with the rest of the hungry contenders that were itching for an opportunity to challenge for the WWF Title.

And maybe it was the fact that Stephanie knew, especially after Mark had kicked her out of the meeting the night prior, that Mark was willing to do anything … _anything_ … to retain the title.

Sometimes, Stephanie didn't know what meant more to Mark, the belt or her. It had taken him nearly two years to recapture the title, after Shawn Michaels, who was officiating the match between Bret and Mark, mistakingly hit Mark in the head with a chair, costing him to lose the title. And now that he had it once again, Stephanie was truly afraid of what lengths Mark would go to just in order to keep the damn around his waist.

And then it was the fact that she truly felt sick. As if she had to vomit. Yes, she really had to vomit!

Nearly tripping over her own feet, attempting to jump out of the bed as quickly as possible, Stephanie lifted the toilet seat just in the knick of time before she …

Heaving, coughing, the remnants of last night's Chinese dinner plastered around the toilet bowl, Stephanie held her stomach tightly, her hair flying about her face, feeling as if her entire meal from last night had come up.

_"What is this?"_

She didn't have a fever, so she wasn't sick, at least not in theory, and even though she was pregnant, wasn't she too early to start having morning sickness? One of the free pamphlets Steph was given at Julie's office back in Greenwich, almost assured her that morning sickness didn't typically begin until the sixth week of pregnancy, and what was Stephanie? 3 weeks? A month? Wasn't she too early along in her pregnancy for morning sickness?

And that's when the pain hit her stomach again, and an onslaught of the Instant Dragon quickly followed.

"What is wrong with me?" Stephanie uttered out, the pain rocking her to her very being. This wasn't like her. Could it truly be the baby making her sick like this?

"Probably too much Chinese," Mark voice called out, his booming voice vibrating around the mid-size bathroom, startling Stephanie almost to death.

Looking back at her husband, as if she were a deer caught in headlights, her brown eyes shaking with fear, Stephanie felt as if she wanted to jump when Mark suddenly brought his huge frame back down to her, swooping her hair from around her face, the smell of vomit no doubt hard for him to take, but he honestly paid it no mind.

Holding her hair back into a makeshift ponytail, Mark, beaming down at Stephanie with care, knowing his wife wasn't feeling the best, asked softly, hoping to get some positive news out of Stephanie, "You good?"

And as Stephanie opened her mouth, attempting to answer the question, it all came up yet again, not as heavy as the last two, but still as effective.

"Never mind," Mark answered himself sarcastically. After making absolute certain that all of the Chinese restaurant's remnants were out of her system, Mark grabbed a facecloth, wiping his Stephanie's mouth, before picking her up and carrying her back to bed to rest. Something had obviously upset her stomach, and Stephanie was really hoping it wasn't the baby.

After Mark laid her back down in the bed, he walked over to the hotel's telephone, punched a few buttons, and ordered whomever was on the other end to bring up a couple bottles of water and ginger ale, as Stephanie obviously needed to rehydrate her body after vomiting so much.

With a knock on the couple's door only minutes later, Mark opened the door, revealing a frantic Saphirra, who honestly looked as if she had run a full sprint down to the hotel's lobby and ran another full sprint all the way back up. That's when Stephanie heard the gaunt like voice, obviously in a huff.

"Master, I got here as … quick … as quickly I could," Saphirra said within gasps.

While Saphirra wasn't a fully trained Diva, she was more a valet than anything, she had great cardio, and when Mark pointed inside the bedroom, she had almost regained her breath … that is until she saw Stephanie lying in the bed holding her stomach, the look on her face as if she were about to vomit herself.

Turning around in a flash to face Mark, as if to ask him, "What the fuck is she doing here?" Mark slowly gave Sapphira the evil eye, letting her silently know that he didn't care for she and Stephanie's shenanigans today. Sure, they disliked each other immensely, but Stephanie's health meant the most to him at the moment, and Saphirra would simply have to deal with that.

Slowly walking over the bed, as slowly as possible, hoping time would magically stop, Saphirra daintily opened the bottle of water, before placing the now opened can of Canada Dry ginger ale on the table next to her.

Barking her name as if she had committed some sort of transgression, Mark called Saphirra into the living room, as Stephanie peered on from the top of the water bottle, slowly sipping the liquid. And although Stephanie couldn't hear exactly what Mark telling Saphirra, since he seemed to speaking extra low this time, enunciating and making his demands perfectly clear to her, what Stephanie did manage to see was the life literally being sucked out of Saphirra's body; it was almost appeared as if the poor girl had been given the boot from the Ministry her shoulders, arms, and back slumped almost instantaneously.

_"Wait, had she?"_

As he re-entered the bedroom, checking on Stephanie, even rubbing on her stomach a bit, Mark personally made sure that Stephanie had been given a significant number of liquids to regain her strength and her hydration. He didn't want her throwing up all over the place again.

As a half an hour slowly ticked away, Stephanie finally dozing for only a bit, Mark offered her a quick peck on the cheek, and even though he didn't want to admit it, since he wasn't exactly the mushy type, wife or no wife, Stephanie, from her head to her toes, was simply perfect to him. Sure, she had her imperfections; shit, he had made a career out of imperfections, but there was no other woman on this Earth, at least not at that moment, who made him feel the way Stephanie made him feel. He still wasn't ready to commit to that L word yet, but there was just something about Stephanie Marie Calaway …

As Stephanie continued to quietly doze, her stomach gave her a tiny tug, not enough to hurt her, but enough to wake her up again. The sickness had all but gone away at that point, but Stephanie still decided to take another sip of the ginger ale. The water was gone and at least the ginger ale had a bit of flavor to it.

As Stephanie slowly gulped down the rest of the can, there, across the bed, at the table sat Saphirra … in her bedroom … with no Mark in sight!

Attempting to wipe the sleep away from the corners of her eyes, not believing that this woman was once again taking up space from within her outer being, Stephanie, although she still felt a bit ill, opened her mouth to once again give Saphirra a piece of her mind, but with malice and pure disgust laced throughout her voice, Saphirra sneered out, "I've been ordered to stay with you until the show starts, so deal with it!"

Slowly turning her back to Stephanie, folding up her arms in clear revulsion, only offering Stephanie a view of her long black hair, it was now Steph who felt as if the soul was being sucked out of her body. A whole day of being stuck with Saphirra, and it was only a little after 9 in the morning? And now she was vomiting and she didn't know why?

What was she going to do?


	65. Changing Places

The tension between Stephanie and Saphirra was the thickest it had ever been. For a whole two hours straight, the two women, who were probably the most valuable to Mark and the entire Ministry, engaged in a cold war with each other, while entrapped inside the hotel room together.

They stared at each other, cast glances of a serial killer at each other, and even managed to bump into each other a few times, all intentionally, of course, because they just couldn't stand to be in each other's presence. And the more the two women sat there together, the more it felt like the 350 square foot room got smaller and smaller.

There were a lot of things that Stephanie disliked in life. Even when Mark was stalking her, Stephanie never _truly_ hated him; she just wished Mark hadn't chosen her to be involved in his twisted plans, but with Saphirra, knowing that this woman was openly in love with Mark, it was safe to say that, for the first time ever, Stephanie truly _hated_ someone … and her hatred was for a woman who had been misused and abused, similarly to Stephanie's own ordeal.

If anything, there should have been empathy and compassion for Saphirra, since she had such a similar plight to her own, but sadly, there was none.

The only emotion Stephanie felt for Saphirra was contempt, because truth be told, Stephanie would be damned if _anyone_, from her father all the way back down to Saphirra, would come in between her marriage, especially since she was just now getting Mark back.

When Stephanie put things into perspective, as she sat in the living room, once again, across from the woman who was once known as Ryan Shamrock, both of them, she and Saphirra, were in love with a man whom had done so many terrible and dastardly things to the two of them that, by design, they both should have be screaming in fear or attempting to formulate a plan of escape … but they weren't. They were both willing participants in Mark's fucked up, sordid world. So what did that truly say about them as women?

Time seemed to pass like molasses on a cold winter morning for the two. Other than the television playing a variety of shows, from _The Price is Right_ to _Days of Our Lives_, and Saphirra leaving only momentarily to bring Stephanie up a bowl of soup, there wasn't a peep of liveliness inside the room. If Mark's ring name was the Undertaker, then this room could have definitely been his graveyard; the energy was that dead.

When Stephanie finally finished her soup, along with drinking another half bottle of water and taking a few sips of a new can of ginger ale, she looked over to find Saphirra napping on the couch. And for once, Saphirra didn't look evil; actually, she looked rather pleasant.

Although her natural features, like her blond hair, were all now masked, with the addition of black hair dye, a nose piercing, and all the dark makeup she now wore, looking over at Ryan gave Stephanie a sudden sense of remorse … regret. Maybe she really didn't hate Saphirra after all. Maybe it was only the heat of the moment that made her feel that way. She certainly didn't feel the way looking at Ryan now.

Quickly snapping out of her moment of fawn, realizing that her time was very limited, especially since Stephanie knew that if Saphirra were to wake up before she had the chance to make her phone call, her opinion of Stephanie would not magically change, and she'd once again attempt to reveal her secrets to Mark.

Standing up slowly, Stephanie looked all around her, attempting to figure out what course of action she could take.

Leaving out of the hotel room was no good; Saphirra would hear the door open or feel a draft of wind coming from the hallway. There was a phone in the living room where the two were now, but Saphirra would surely overhear her conversation. There was an extra phone in the bedroom, and the most Stephanie could hope for, if she shut the door extra tight, would be to pray that Saphirra didn't wake up in the middle of her phone call. She had already somewhat caught Stephanie the night before, and if she could manage to hear what Stephanie was talking about today …

Slowly walking around the room, tiptoeing actually, Stephanie eased her way into the bedroom, making absolutely certain not to trip or stub her toe on anything … or in this case … anyone. Making sure Saphirra was fast asleep, quadruple checking, Stephanie, painstakingly so, closed the door connecting the bedroom to the living room. At one point, she had the mind to spray a travel size container of air freshener on the door's hinges, to make sure it didn't creak, but that would surely arouse Saphirra's sinuses, then the jig would truly be up.

As soon as the door was closed, Stephanie made a beeline for her purse, grabbing her address book from it. Punching in ten numbers on the phone's dial pad, Stephanie waited patiently, at least 4 rings passing by, hoping someone would miraculously answer on the other end. Finally, around the sixth ring, someone did answer, but it wasn't the squeaky voice from the receptionist that usually greeted her. Instead, a very monotonic, automated recording, informing Stephanie that today was Sunday and the office was closed.

_"Shit! How could I forget that today is Sunday?"_

Swearing under her breath, Steph looked over at the clock on the nightstand. It was now 12:14 p.m., meaning it was 2:14 in Greenwich. Hopefully the person she needed to speak with, since this was a very urgent matter, was out of mass already. This was literally a life or death situation!

Looking back down at her address book, Stephanie quickly typed in ten more numbers written under "Cellular". It was either this or nothing. As the phone rang longer this time, Stephanie crossed her fingers hoping that the person she needed to speak with would answer.

"Please, answer, please answer, pleas …"

"This is Dr. Julie Graves … I mean, this is Julie."

_"Eureka!" _Stephanie exclaimed mentally.

Reaching the person she was desperately needing to speak to, Stephanie, attempting to control her volume, quietly yelled through the phone, "Julie? Julie, this is Stephanie! Hello, can you hear me?"

On the other end of the phone, it sounded as if Julie was at some sort of children's function. Stephanie could hear the sounds of running and playing children and an adult asking someone to "Pardon". Julie was obviously busy, and Stephanie really didn't want to disturb her, especially since today wasn't a work day, but she had to find out why she was vomiting this morning.

"Steph? Hey Steph," Julie yelled back through the phone, attempting to maneuver her way through the commotion surrounding her.

"Sorry, I can't … ouch, hey, watch where you're running, Max … hear you. I'm at my nephew's birthday party, and well … geez … kids just don't … I saw that, Billy … pay attention to anything these days … so it's a bit … hectic. Amanda, you put that worm down right this instant, young lady! It's kinda like … Katy, please share … controlled chaos here … today. But … how's everything going?" Julie finally finished, clearly out of breath from playing an unsanctioned round of Dodge the Kid.

Now that Stephanie was finally on the other end with Julie, it suddenly dawned on her about the importance of this day for one brave little boy. Julie's nephew, Arnold, had turned 5 today, and Stephanie had forgotten all about it. Arnold had been diagnosed with leukemia when he was only just a baby, and after a slew of treatments and four years later, the doctors were calling little Arnold a "Miracle Baby". Initially, he wasn't even supposed to live to see his first birthday, but now here he was, healthy and cancer free.

And when Stephanie thought about all that, she suddenly felt selfish for making things all about her. It wasn't right and it wasn't fair to Arnold, either, pregnant or not.

"I, um … Jules …" Stephanie started. "I'll just call you back … maybe tomorrow. Today's a big day for Arnold. It can wait."

"Huh?" Julie asked, apparently perturbed by Stephanie's admission. Julie knew Stephanie only called like this when she really needed something, and now that she had called, Julie was determined to find out why.

"Steph?" Julie asked inquiringly, almost pleading.

"Well, it's just that …"

"It's just that you have something to say and I want you to spill it, McMahon. Now!" Julie ordered, her voice noticeably heavier, firmer. For an OBGYN, Julie could be quite scary when she put her mind to it.

"Um, Jules? …" Stephanie questioned quietly, hoping her call hadn't magically switched over to the cell phone line of Sgt. William C. Graves, Julie's father. That man was always angry, and at the moment, Julie sounded just like him.

Snickering, surprising herself about how much she sounded like her father, Julie said within giggles, "Oh, yeah, sorry. That was just my inner military brat coming out. But, back to you. Steph, what's up?"

"I mean, are you sure you can talk right now? How's Arnold?"

Stephanie's conscience was eating away at her at the moment, and if she could make it stop by getting off the phone with Julie, she'd do that, even if that possibly meant that she wasn't going to get any answers to her questions. She just couldn't stand the insincere and selfish emotions that were running through her.

"Yes, I can talk, and Arnold's fantastic. He opened all of his presents just a few minutes ago actually, and gosh, I never knew so many toys existed for boys! He probably got every toy from every shelf from FAO Schwartz."

_"Dammit, I forgot to send a present, too!"_

Now Stephanie really felt like poo. On top of forgetting about Arnold's birthday, Stephanie had also forgotten to send Arnold a gift.

_"How self-absorbed have I become?"_ Stephanie wondered agonizingly.

"So … what gives?" Julie asked again, interrupting Stephanie's surge of guilt. "You've got something on your mind and I want to know what it is."

Sighing in and out, rationalizing that on top of forgetting Arnold's birthday and not buying him a present, calling Jules, interrupting her, and not telling her what was wrong, would be the height of selfishness, Stephanie, taking a deep breath, then blurted out rather abruptly, "I think I had morning sickness this morning."

"Wait, what?" Julie answered, pressing her finger up against her ear, walking in the direction of her vehicle, keys in hand.

Whispering into the phone a bit louder, cognitive of Saphirra still sleeping on the couch, Stephanie said louder, "I think I had morning sickness this morning."

"No, no, I heard you silly. Why do you feel you had morning sickness?"

"Because I ran into the bathroom and began vomiting from the moment I woke up. It was pretty bad," Stephanie recalled, recounting the unpleasant feeling of having her meal regurgitated. "I mean, I ate Chinese last night, and maybe that didn't sit well with me, but Julie, I threw up three different times in succession. How is that normal?"

"Steph, calm down," Julie warned, knowing Steph was almost to the point of hyperventilation. "I know you're upset, just calm down, ok? Breath."

Nodding on the other end of the phone, Stephanie mouthed "Mmm hmm", taking Julie's advice, all the while, breathing in and out slowly. She needed to settle herself.

Taking her keys and pressing a button, the lights to her BMW quickly lit up. Climbing into the driver seat, Jules turned the switch to the ignition with her key, the blast from the AC greeting her. Jules loved her nephew with all of her heart, but it was scorching in Greenwich today. Plus, she needed some privacy to speak to Stephanie in, and with the main house being overrun by both adults and children, the comfortable leather seats of her BMW would have to be her private practice at the moment.

"Now, there are literally a million different reasons why you woke up vomiting this morning," Julie proclaimed calmly, wanting to ease Steph's mind as much as possible. Stephanie was both a friend and a client, and she obviously wanted the absolute best for her. "That definitely doesn't mean you had to be morning sickness, either."

"Ok …?" Stephanie asked inquisitively, hoping Julie would delve further. If she was having morning sickness like she thought she was, there'd truly be no way to hide her pregnancy from Mark for much longer, so Stephanie was definitely all ears.

"I've had patients who've had morning sickness from the very beginning of their pregnancy to patients who've never experienced morning sickness even once throughout their entire pregnancy; it's varies from woman to woman.

"With that said, I don't think you're exactly a month yet. I don't have your charts in front of me, but what I can say is this: if it is morning sickness, you'll know by tomorrow morning. If the same thing happens to you that happened today, then you've probably got a case of early morning sickness. It happens sometimes. It's nothing to cause too much concern over, as long as it goes and it comes."

"But Julie … Mar … I mean, my child's father … he doesn't … quite … know yet. And if I keep doing this every morning, he'll find out." And thought alone frightened Stephanie to no end. If Mark found out she was pregnant …

"Stephanie, I'm no family therapist, but I do think that it's in the best interest of not only you and the father, but also the baby, if you let the father in on this. He's going to have to find out one way or another, unless you plan on aborting …

"No, no. I … I want to keep it …" Stephanie said, almost shrieking in horror at the mere mention of giving up her unborn child.

"Then tell him. He has to know. You're going to have to some day. Steph, I don't know if you know this or not, but you're really on borrowed time with all this."

"But Mar … I mean, my child's father, he's not … I mean … Jules … what if he isn't ready to be a father? I mean, how do I break the news to him? Julie, please, I need your help."

"Look, Steph, not only as your physician, but as your friend, whomever this guy is, whom you refuse to name," Julie added sarcastically. "Tell him, ok? If you need some help with this, I can maybe fax you over a copy of this book I have in my office about unplanned pregnancies. It's insightful and I think you could really put it to good use."

"Thanks," Stephanie answered dryly. This was not how she envisioned this conversation going.

"Have you started taking your prenatal vitamins yet?"

"I mean, no … not yet. I was going to … but things came up," Steph said nervously, looking around the room, wrapping the coiled telephone cord around finger, attempting to hear any potential movements from Ryan.

"So before you do anything else, again, unless you plan on … you know … get your freaking prenatal vitamins!" Julie warned sternly. "Today's Sunday, so more than likely the drug stores are closed, but by tomorrow afternoon, I want you to have that prescription filled, you got that, Steph?"

"I've got it," Stephanie solemnly whispered, her mind traveling is too many various directions at one time, her thoughts convoluted. "What if I keep vomiting?"

"For starters," said Jules, who continued to watch Arnold's party from her car. "Get your vitamins. After that, I would highly suggest that if you don't plan on visiting me for your pregnancy appointments, wherever you are, and you're safe, find a primary care physician locally. They will more than likely prescribe you an OTC of vitamin B6, but you'll have to find a doctor first, Steph, ok?"

"Yeah," Stephanie replied somberly, attempting to fight back tears. Why was her life seemingly crashing all around her? Why, she thought, was all of this happening to _her_? Sniffing, attempting to clear the tears that had formulated in her eyes, Stephanie finally replied again, "Jules, it's getting late. You should get back to the party."

"It is," Julie acknowledged. "But, I just want to make sure that you're safe, Steph."

"I am, and … thank you, Jules," Stephanie said on the other end of the call, attempting to smile; she could tell Jules was very concerned about her.

"Just get that prescription filled, and if you need help, I can help you find the best doctor nearby, ok, Steph?"

"That's why you're my best friend," Stephanie, through sniffles, acknowledged.

And this was true. While Steph had always considered Samantha, Olivia, and Elizabeth her best friends forever, when they were best friends, that is, the things that Julie had helped Stephanie deal with over the years, not including this recent pregnancy snafu, quietly trumped the random shopping sprees and nighty four-way phone calls the former quartet engaged in. Stephanie realized back on the streets of Greenwich that Samantha and the rest of the girls were only her friends of convenience; Julie on the other hand was a friend for life, and she very much appreciated her for that.

"Hey, that's what BFF's are for."

"You better get back to that party," Stephanie playfully ordered.

"Well, to be honest, my feet needed the rest," Jules giggled, followed by Stephanie's own return in slight laughter. "And I thought being a doctor was hard."

"Yeah, I bet. Say hi to Arnold for me."

"I will. And don't forget what we talked about Stephanie. Prescription, doctor. Doctor, prescription. Got it?"

"Yes sir, sergeant," Stephanie mocked mischievously. Julie could be very overbearing at times, but Steph knew it was all coming from a good place.

"Oh, and plenty of clear liquids, preferably water and ginger ale for the vomiting," Julie said, completely ignoring Stephanie's military imitation. She was completely in Dr. Graves mode now. "And plenty of rest. Try not to worry yourself too much, Steph. Everything will turn out fine, I'm sure, and in a few months, you'll be a mother, so no stress."

"Yeah … no stress," Stephanie said meekly, knowing that not being stressed was going to be easier said than done.

The two of them exchanged a few pleasantries and ended their conversation, Stephanie carefully placing the phone back onto the receiver. Sitting in the bed, hugging her legs, Steph thought about what Julie said, mainly about telling Mark about the baby, but she just didn't know how. Would he be angry? Upset?

And by telling Mark, that would surely hinder her plans to keep an active eye out on him, just in case he was contemplating selling his share of the company. And whose to say that Mark wouldn't, in a fit of rage he was keenly susceptible to, blab the news to Vince, just in order to hurt him? She couldn't tell him, at least for right now. She had to keep the news quiet, at any and all costs.

But then again, if she was having morning sickness, how much longer did she truly have?

Silently praying for a miracle, Stephanie slowly raised from the bed, but mistakingly knocked over her opened bag, all of her clothes and beauty products falling to the floor in a heap. Bending down by the knees to pick up her stuff, Stephanie rolled her eyes hard at what she saw amongst her clothes. Right there in front of her, something she had forgotten all about, was her cell phone.

Shaking her head, Steph mumbled to herself, "Now I find it." No wonder Vince had to track down what hotel she was staying at with Mark. But in the frame of mind Vince was in, Stephanie was almost quite certain that her father would've managed to track down her movements anyway.

On top of her finding her cell phone, the damn thing was powered off. Deeply pressing the power button, the metallic blue Nokia 8290 quickly lit up, revealing a full battery bar. And that's when Stephanie snickered under her breath.

The only reason why Mark was even getting a home computer, with the World Wide Web connected, was because of Stephanie. A few weeks ago, she had challenged Mark to "get with the times", with the New Millennium quickly approaching, even taking him to task on his "archaic" cell phone, but now, here she was, leaving her own cell phone in the recesses of her traveling bag?

Smiling to herself, quickly putting the clothes away and placing the cell phone on her nightstand, Stephanie walked over to the bedroom door, slowly opening it, then violently jumped into the air, the smile immediately vanishing, because on the other side of the door stood Ryan … who looked shocked more than anything.

Genuinely annoyed that she was once again being startled, especially in her condition, by Saphirra once again, Stephanie started to shout at Ryan, but the girl's next two words left Stephanie cold.

"You're … _pregnant?!_"

With her brown eyes lighting up with true shock, for this time, Ryan had truly overheard her, Stephanie simply stood in the doorway, mouth agape, eyes bright with utter disbelief, her breathing catching rather quickly.

Saphirra, on the other hand, looked just as dumbfounded, if not more, than Stephanie did, her own eyes nearly bulging out of the sockets, her tongue dry with astonishment. What was Stephanie to do at the moment?

"Excuse me?" Stephanie asked impolitely, attempting to sound as annoyed as possible, even though her heart was skipping several beats. She had to sound as convincing as possible.

"I heard you on the phone! You said you were pregnant! I heard you!" Saphirra said emphatically.

Mark had left her in charge of keeping an eye out for Stephanie, and even though she loathed being in Stephanie's mere presence, it was truly an honor for her to do any sort of task for her master. As such, especially since she detested the sight of Stephanie, she was always wary of anything McMahon, and while she did take a brief nap, it was small … _very_ small.

Every little sound, whether it was a piece of candy being unwrapped or the sounds of the remote control buttons clicking as Stephanie flipped between channels, Saphirra heard. So when Stephanie thought she had securely snuck away into the bedroom, Saphirra was right behind her, ear pressed firmly against the door, listening to every single word she was saying.

"_Ryan_, what the _hell_ are you talking about?" Stephanie asked wryly, wanting to give off the impression that she was peeved off with Ryan's snooping.

First she almost caught her talking to Vince, now Ryan had obviously overheard the entire conversation she just had with Julie. Could Stephanie not have any alone time? Was it a crime for her to talk on the phone?

"Oh, puhlease. Don't give me that bullshit," Saphirra almost demanded, placing a solid finger between she and Stephanie. "I heard every single thing you said, _McMahon_, everything! No wonder you were throwing up! From you not telling Mar … Master … about that … grr … baby! I caught you, now …

"Now? Now what?" Stephanie demanded, coming nose to nose with Ryan, her eyes ablaze with ember, forgetting to even put on an act this time. Right now, Stephanie truly was pissed. Her privacy had been violated for the very last time, and now Saphirra had it in her mind to possibly tell Mark about her secret? She couldn't allow that to happen.

That's when Stephanie almost lost her footing, because Ryan pushed her so hard, she almost fell! And she was pregnant!

"Don't you pull that tough girl shit with me, bitch. Now, after all this time, I can finally get rid of you," Saphirra gloated with glee, mixed with contempt for Stephanie in her voice, as Stephanie, chest falling up and down rapidly, looked back on at the demented Saphirra, who wanted nothing more than to see Mark kick Stephanie to the curb.

"Do you honestly think Master wants a baby, with … _you_?" And that's when Saphirra's voice rose with a sinister laugh, infecting the entire room, to the point where Stephanie, along with the menacing words she was hearing, formed chill bumps all along her arms, her mouth twisted in disgust.

Stopping her laugh without warning, Saphirra snapped again, "The Ministry of Darkness, the World Wrestling Federation Championship, complete control of the WWF, and now, a wittle bitty baby. Tell me, dumb cunt, which one of these things doesn't belong? I'll give you a hint."

On the outside, Stephanie wanted to pound Saphirra's face in, but internally, she wanted to wallow in self-pity, because deep down inside, despite the fact that her hatred for Saphirra had finally been confirmed, she knew _everything_ this evil woman was saying was true! Mark didn't want a baby. Of course, Mark had never told her this, but after becoming the most powerful man in sports entertainment, why would he now want to start a family?

When Stephanie lined up all of his accomplishments, whether by hook or by crook, Mark, within the past six months, had achieved so much. Yes, he was the leader of the most feared stabled in all of pro sports, yes, he was the new World Wrestling Federation Champion, and yes, he was the majority owner of the company he carried the title for, and adding a baby into that equation, how could Stephanie … how could their child compete?

So, as it stood, it was either admit that Ryan was right about everything and beg her, more than likely, on her hands and her needs, not to reveal her pregnancy to Mark, or do something else, but what could that be? She tried thinking on her feet, tried invoking her inner McMahon.

_"Come on Steph, think!"_

And then it hit her. It wasn't even invoking her inner Vince when she thought about it. Instead, it was a bit of an old cliché: if you can't be em, join em.

Slowly looking down at the ground, Stephanie, with a devious smirk on her face, just as she slowly lifted it back up, caused Saphirra's once confident look of triumph to wane.

"_Mark_, is it now, Ryan?" Stephanie started, beaming at Saphirra with a truly maddening look. It was as if Stephanie and Saphirra had somehow switched bodies Stephanie gave off such a sinister aura.

"Humph. I could of sworn it was 'Master' to you, or have you gotten too comfortable?"

And with that, before giving Saphirra a chance to retort, Stephanie slowly began pacing around Saphirra, who was still dressed in her all goth attire, sans boots, but something about Ryan's now outward posterior seemed … off. As if she wasn't as confident in herself as she once was. And that's just where Stephanie wanted her.

"Yes, that's exactly what I think it is. It's _Mark_ to you now," Stephanie said almost omnisciently, still circling Saphirra, like a buzzard circling its meal. "I think _Mark_ would love to know about this, don't you think, _Ryan_?"

"What are you jabbering about, McMahon?" Saphirra sneered out, truly not understanding Stephanie's aim. "I know your dirty little secret, and I plan on telling Master as soon as he steps foot in this room."

"Oh, do you now?" Stephanie asked snidely, stopping behind Saphirra, her light breath on Saphirra's ear causing a small shiver to escape her body.

"Yes … I do."

Snickering, brushing a lock of hair from Saphirra's shoulder, as Saphirra attempted to snatch her body away from her, Stephanie said, "Oh, no Ryan, I don't think you'll be telling anything. Not today, not tomorrow, not anytime."

Almost flabbergasted that Stephanie was attempting to eliminate her plans now, since she wanted to be the lone female member of the Ministry … and possibly more, Saphirra, biting back almost bile from the mere thought of Stephanie staying around for even a second longer, asked in disgust, "And why the hell not? Why shouldn't I expose you for the liar you truly are?"

"Because," Stephanie said simply, walking around Saphirra again, bringing her back face to face with the girl. "I know your dirty little secret, as well."

Skeptical of Stephanie's train of thought, Sapphira asked then sarcastically, "You've got to be joking, right? I don't have any secrets. Let's make that very clear." That's when Saphirra then brought her nose up to Stephanie's, her black lipstick shining bright, the sunlight from the window gleaming off of it.

"Oh, I think you do, more than one, honestly. And quite frankly, well, I suppose that if you plan on exposing me, well, I guess we'll both have to leave then," Stephanie noted, looking down at Saphirra, knowing the thought of her having to leave Mark would definitely rattle her. And it worked.

Saphirra's lips then began to pulsate, as if she were trying to form speech but couldn't quite do it, the thought of her losing access to Mark enough to drive the poor girl insane.

After all, during her "conditioning", Mark had systematically demolished everything that meant the most to her, destroying her relationships with her family, her friends, and even her psyche. Mark had made Ryan depend on him for every little thing, from meals to bathroom breaks, if she was lucky to enough to earn those, and now … she could lose him? The thought alone she could barely fathom!

"What are you talking about?" Saphirra snapped. "Stop speaking in riddles!"

For once, Stephanie could see the frustration on Saphirra's face. Usually it was Saphirra who spoke in a confused language, who goaded people, like Stephanie, into near submission, but now Steph could tell it was _she_ who was getting the better of the former Shamrock, and she definitely liked the way things were going.

"I'm talking about the fact that you're in love with Mark," Stephanie revealed, as Saphirra's eyes lit up even more.

And now that Stephanie said it, along with being threatened that another woman was in love with _her_ husband, she quickly came to the realization that, one way or the other, Saphirra would eventually have to go.

She and Mark, somehow, someway, would potentially be raising a family together very soon, along with getting re-married, and Saphirra, nor any other woman for that matter, could no longer hang on the whims of Mark's every command. So, if the cards she was forcibly dealt today were in her favor, if Saphirra pushed her, this would be the last day she would have to see this tormented creature, and that suited Stephanie just fine.

"No … no … no," Saphirra backtracked, shaking her head from side to side rapidly, her hair billowing from each side. "I'm not. I'm not."

"Yes … yes . yes …. you … you are," Steph mocked coldly, in the same voice Saphirra had just used. Saphirra had learned from the best. She learned from the Undertaker the art of mind control. Fortunately for Stephanie, however, she had taken and excelled in Crazy 101, as well.

"You're in love with _my_ husband."

That's when Stephanie was prompted to look down at Saphirra's sides, as she had balled up her fists. Yes, it was plain to see: Sapphira had fallen madly and deeply in love with Mark. It was _she_ who wanted to be Mrs. Calaway, _she_ who wanted to be pregnant right now, _she_ who wanted to live on Mark's ranch in Texas, but instead, she had been rooming with Christian, as Mark had appointed him her personal bodyguard so to speak. And Sapphira hated that.

In Saphirra's mind, Stephanie had been handed everything in life. She was the daughter of Vince and Linda McMahon, she was wealthy, pretty, hadn't had to work for anything a day in her life. Sure, she might've modeled t-shirts at one point or another, but other than that, what had Stephanie really had to work for? Why was it she that Mark was infatuated with and not her? What was so significant about Stephanie McMahon, other than her last name, that made Mark want her?

"Oh, oh, does that make you mad? Does that make you upset?" Stephanie asked, interrupting Saphirra's thoughts, clearly chiding her. Even the threat of physical violence couldn't stop her now. She had to keep going.

"Yes, I think you are. Admit it. Saphirra … whatever your last name is these days, is in love with Mark Calaway."

That's when Saphirra's mouth completely went dry. Looking down at the floor, there truly wasn't anything for her to say, since it was all true: she loved everything about her master. Even when he treated her like shit, she just couldn't help herself. But it would truly be over her dead body before she every admitted that to Stephanie McMahon.

"And you hate me because I'm _Mrs_. Calaway, isn't that right, Ryan?"

Taking her bravado one step forward, Steph reached out with two fingers, and lifted Saphirra's head up, so she could easily see the wedding ring and new engagement ring Stephanie was eagerly flaunting, right in front of her face.

Stephanie didn't know what had come over her. She knew that without a shadow of a doubt, Saphirra was the most unhinged, mentally unhealthy woman she had ever had the displeasure of encountering, and by taunting this way, Saphirra could easily attack her, but for some strange reason, that wasn't resonating with her at the moment. Not only did Steph _want_ to get even with Saphirra, but she also wanted to make sure that Saphirra would never again come between she and her marriage, so she pushed on.

"Oh, did Mark, did he, did he not tell you about the … _our_ … our upcoming wedding?" Stephanie asked, smiling openly, evilly, as Saphirra continued to stare on, tears swelling up around her striking blue eyes.

"I mean, I know he couldn't have forgotten to tell you how he proposed to me again, right? I just know he had to. Sure, the man loves his privacy and all, but … you mean to tell me he didn't tell you?"

As Stephanie stood back, watching her work unfold, honestly liking the feeling of making Saphirra … well … her bitch, Saphirra's mind was now on the verge catastrophic failure.

It was one thing to marry Stephanie against her will, but to now willfully impregnate her, to start a family with her, and to renew their vows just made Saphirra want to curl herself into a ball and die. She honestly didn't know how she could live life without Mark in it. He was planning his life outside of wrestling without her, and that hurt to her worst of all.

As she attempted to regain her resolve, her will, a lone tear, as her head was now facing the carpet of the bedroom floor, fell to it. Her heart was truly breaking. Meanwhile, Stephanie, who would usually grow a conscience and stop the mental warfare she was waging on Saphirra, smiled to herself wickedly. Sure, she could feel bad about forgetting Arnold's birthday and not sending him a gift, but Saphirra wasn't Arnold. She was a cold-hearted bitch, and she was finally getting what was coming to her.

"You can plan all the church weddings you want," Saphirra said simply, finally breaking the ice cold silence that had formed between the two. "That doesn't change the fact that you're pregnant and our Master has the right to now."

For a moment, Stephanie almost mistook Saphirra's _wanting_ to tell Mark about her pregnancy as caring, but she obviously knew better. Saphirra only wanted to tell him just in order to get rid of her, and as long as Stephanie could manage, Mark would not find out, at least not at the moment anyway.

"No, correction bitch. _Your_ master. Let me remind you that I'm _Mrs_. Calaway, therefore, naturally, don't you think you should address me as mistress?" Stephanie noted, leering down at Saphirra.

"I … would … never," Saphirra said, finally mustering the courage to say something on the offensive, her entire body shaking from Stephanie's bravado.

"Oh, but you're gonna have to. As a matter of fact, as someone I use to know would say, _I guarantee_ that, before this is all said and done, _you're_ going to be addressing me by so much more."

"Too much ginger ale is never good. It makes you delusional," Saphirra finally snapped back defiantly, lifting her head up to meet Stephanie's dancing eyes of elation, her's dashing with fury.

"No, Ryan," Stephanie sadly coldly, twisting her finger around a lock of her black hair. "I think you're the delusional one here."

That's when Saphirra slapped Stephanie's hand from her hair, the slight sting from the blow making Stephanie chuckle. She had finally gotten to Saphirra, something that no one had done since she had her transformation. That alone brought another burst of inner joy and twisted euphoria to Stephanie, a feeling she lacked every since that Sunday Night Heat show.

"So, if you still plan to tell Mark," Stephanie continued, now giving herself space from Saphirra. "Then you won't mind me revealing that you're in love with him. I mean, come on, do you honestly think Mark wants a family, with … _you_?" Stephanie mocked openly.

"The Ministry of Darkness, the World Wrestling Federation Championship, complete control of the WWF, and now, a retarded Saphirra. Tell me, dumb bitch, which one of these doesn't belong? I'll give you two hints."

That's when Saphirra's lower lip began trembling again, the tears that had welled up in her eyes finally falling down her face. She just couldn't imagine her life without her master!

"So what if I was? It doesn't matter," Saphirra triumphantly declared, sticking her chest out, defiantly. "I've been more loyal to Master than you ever have, than you ever will be, and after this latest betrayal, it's off you go, and I'll be rewarded. You'll see. You will!"

Snickering, Stephanie found that by even the mere mentioning of Mark leaving Saphirra, it was all too easy to get this crazed woman worked up. Now she was crying … and she wasn't even married to him!

"Wrong again," Stephanie said on a huff, finally going for the kill. "Mark will _never_ love you. He'll never be _in_ love with you. You see Ryan, you'll _never_ be me. And what's more, Mark won't believe you. You'll tell him that I'm pregnant, and that'll only convince him more that you're only coming up with lies to sabotage me, to hurt our marriage, and it will be _you_ that'll be gone, not me."

"Stop, stop, STOP! You're making this up!" Saphirra screamed at the top of her lungs, more hot tears falling down her swollen face, even taking Stephanie aback a bit, as Saphirra pressed her palms against her ears, tired of hearing what she perceived to be as vicious lies.

"Why _wouldn't_ Master believe me? He's always trusted me before! I'm the most loyal member of the Ministry! He'd never get rid of me!"

"Oh, yes he will," Steph enunciated back, wanting her next warning shot to really connect. "I mean, why wouldn't he? You just assaulted me and …"

"I never assaulted you!"

"That's not what I'm going to tell him," Stephanie provoked, her smile widening to the length of her entire face. She had Saphirra right where she wanted her.

"Assaulted you? I never assault you! You're making all of this up!"

"Oh, am I? Didn't you just push me?"

Rethinking to a few moments before, Saphirra _had_ pushed Stephanie, but it wasn't necessarily to hurt her; she had just lost her temper. But could that really be categorized as assault?

"Well, I did … slightly … but it was only after …"

"And I fell and hurt myself," Steph continued, as she really poured on the theatrics. "You put your hands on Mark's wife."

That's when Saphirra gulped, knowing she really would be in trouble if Stephanie did indeed inform her master about any of this, especially after their fight in California. She knew for a fact that Mark would not tolerate another physical confrontation, especially if Stephanie could prove that it was she was the sole aggressor.

It was also at this moment that Stephanie had surpassed her wildest of imaginations, by causing so much mental strife in Saphirra. And if Saphirra was truly going to reveal the status of her pregnancy to Mark, Stephanie would have to pull double duty by also playing the sympathetic and innocent wife today, as well. A role she wasn't willing to play, but she would have have to be quite convincing if it all boiled down to it today.

"Wait, you didn't fall!" Saphirra screamed, pointing out the obvious, once again demanding Stephanie to "stop lying."

Lying down on the floor carefully, as dramatic as ever, Stephanie, doing her best Life Alert impression, fawned, "Help! I've fallen and I can't get up! Oh, Mark, baby, it was horrible. She _attacked_ me! Saphirra … attacked _me_!"

"Just … just stop," Saphirra cried out, only this time, she was truly crying. Her entire body was now convulsing, as well. Had Stephanie finally broken her?

"Fine. I won't say anything," Saphirra ceded in defeat. No matter how much she truly hated Stephanie, it just wasn't enough to truly give up being in the company of her master, not now at least. For the first time in her life, it finally felt as if she belonged, and she wasn't ready to leave.

"Oh, no," Stephanie said mildly, shaking her head as she pulled herself up from the floor. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Ryan, when will you learn? See, here's the thing: I know about what you did to Tori a few weeks ago. You know, after she bothered to check on me, you attacked her? Remember that?"

This caught the attention of Saphirra again. Wiping at the tears that had fallen down her face, Saphirra looked back up at Stephanie with pure hatred from out the corner of her eyes. She was being coerced into submission!

"Well, it seemed to me that you were trying to present yourself as the most dominate female in the locker room. However, there's only a small, _small_ problem with that," Stephanie revealed, pinching her fingers together in order to emphasize her point.

Looking up at Stephanie still from the corner of her eyes, her head tilted in near defeat, Saphirra watched on silently, as Stephanie continued her declaration.

"You see, Ryan, as far as the WWF is concerned, _I_ am the dominate female. Now you can learn that the easy way, or I can teach it to you the hard way."

And with that, Stephanie stood over Saphirra once again, essentially claiming her victory. Saphirra, however, gathered one last ounce of courage to negate Stephanie's verbal onslaught.

"Are you threatening me, _Ms_. McMahon?"

Laughing outright now, knowing full-well Saphirra's game, Stephanie declared finally, "Oh, yeah Ryan, that's more than a threat."

As Stephanie continued to gaze down at Saphirra, knowing she had finally won the battle and the war this time around, both women's heads turned slightly to the door, as the keycard being slid in and out of it alerted them of Mark's incoming presence. Throwing his gym bag to the floor in the living room, placing his black shades and hat on one of the end tables, Stephanie, giving Saphirra one last look of utter control, slowly walked away from her, leaving Saphirra standing all alone in the bedroom.

"I thought ya'll two would've killed each other by now," Mark said upon seeing Stephanie emerge from the bedroom, looking noticeably better than she looked from this morning.

"No, no," Stephanie cooed innocently, wrapping her arms around her husband's neck, planting a soft kiss upon his lips, which he returned, grabbing her hips. Knowing something was off by only seeing Stephanie and not Saphirra, Mark asked suddenly, "Where is she?", giving Stephanie a look of skepticism, since he knew the history between the two.

That's when Saphirra emerged from the bedroom, her demeanor noticeably different than from her usual, demonic self, which Mark noticed instantly, but since Stephanie was as persistent as ever to get her message of female dominance across, she cut in before Mark could speak by saying, "Ryan, you're a little late from coming from downstairs."

Flabbergasted as to now Stephanie was now throwing her under the bus, Saphirra stood there with he mouth slightly ajar, without saying anything.

"Now, could you fetch me some ice water? But if you could, crush the ice, but use your hand, and crack it with a spoon, the ice is much better that way."

Stephanie knew she was pushing it with Saphirra. Testing her in front of Mark like this could easily backfire, but if she were going to exude power over this woman, then this had to be the ultimate test.

Nodding politely, her head stiff, however, Saphirra let out a dry, "Sure, Steph. No problem," before nearly bolting from the room, her pride nearly getting in the way.

"Thank you," Stephanie called over from Mark's shoulder, as the hotel's door closed shut, offering one last "Bye," innocently, wriggling her fingers freely, her lips curling into a sinister smile, as Mark, hands still planted firmly on Stephanie's hips, wondered just what in the hell was happened when he was away.


	66. Owen 3:16

After Saphirra left to bring up a glass of ice water, with hand crushed ice, no less, Stephanie explained to Mark that she and Saphirra had come to a "mea culpa", that the two had agreed, for the sake of the Ministry, to put their issues behind them and engage in a civil relationship with each other. While Mark, of course, knew this wasn't truly what happened, he was willing to accept any explanation Stephanie gave to him at that point, especially with his big match coming up.

Over the Edge started at 7:00 sharp, but there was also a whole hour of Sunday Night Heat to be had first. Meat would compete in singles competition against Brian Christopher, the Hardy Boyz, Matt and Jeff, were meeting Goldust and the Blue Meanie in a tag match, and Tori, competing in her first match since the assault from Saphirra a few weeks ago on Smackdown!, would face Ivory. But later on that night, the stakes would be much higher.

Al Snow was facing Hardcore Holly for the Hardcore Championship, the Brood, Edge, Christian, and Gangrel, would meet the Big Show and Mankind in a Handicap Match, and Mideon was facing Billy Gunn in the Finals of the European Championship Tournament.

But what really made the Ministry upset was the fact that after arriving to the arena earlier, they were informed by Tony Garrea, that the booking team, at the behest of Linda McMahon, had begun advertising a Fatal Four Way elimination match for the Tag Team titles, involving the current champions, the Acolytes, Kane and X-Pac, D-Lo Brown and Mark Henry, Ken Shamrock and Big Boss Man!

To say the Acolytes were pissed was an understatement, as they now had to defend their titles against two other teams, after initially only having to defend the titles against X-Pac and Kane in a rematch for the titles. Of course, being the leader of the Ministry, and the son-in-law to Linda, Bradshaw and Farooq looked to Mark to resolve their issues, but even he couldn't escape Linda's hint of persuasion.

Not only had Linda, using yet another executive decision, declared that any Ministry interference would result in Mark automatically being stripped of the title, but she had also somehow stymied in another stipulation: _every_ member of the Ministry, including Paul Bearer, who was the Undertaker's manager, was banned from ringside, and that pissed Mark off to the highest degree, to the point where he actually began to seek Linda out, only to be told by some poor frightened production assistant that Linda had made the call from her home in Greenwich.

And with Austin being so incensed the way that he was, it was no telling how long the actual match would end up going, especially since Taker had absolutely no plans of losing the championship, even if all of his plans for a title redemption had now all been completely been thrown out the window.

Before taking his shower, Mark, for the first time that Stephanie could recall, openly complained about the stipulations of a match. With Mark being who he was, he was used to overcoming adversity, whether it was Mankind or his own flesh and blood, Kane. However, in this instance, it wasn't so much the stipulations that made him upset, it was the fact that Linda was completely undermining his authority as the majority owner of the company. She didn't even come to Kansas City to make that decision, either. She stayed home in Greenwich, which let Mark truly know just how Linda felt "threatened" by him "being in charge".

And maybe it was the fact that she was getting used to Mark's evil ways, used to his manipulations, but Stephanie too felt that Linda was overstepping her bounds. True, Linda did have three executive decisions, two she had already used, leaving her with just one now, but using her sheer influence to change already scheduled matches, especially at the 11th hour, honestly made Stephanie see things from Mark's perspective a bit.

One one hand, Linda was a very smart business woman, and she always did things for the betterment of the company. The fans would enjoy the extra competition on tonight's show, but on the other hand, Stephanie felt a tinge of frustration from her mother upsetting the man she loved like this. And when she thought about it, she _wanted_ Mark as champion, not Austin. Sure, Austin had attempted to save her from that dark wedding and all, but Mark was her husband, not Austin, and that literally changed everything.

And more than anything else, Stephanie really didn't want Linda involved with the WWF if Vince wasn't around. It was too dangerous, and considering what happened to her that last time she was involved in a match, Linda needed to stay far, far away from all the front-end aspects of the company. It wasn't safe for her.

It was 4:07 now, and as Mark finished showering, Stephanie had Saphirra brush out the kinks in her hair, which she complied for dutifully.

Stephanie really did enjoy this more quiet, subdued Saphirra, even if she did have to use coercion to achieve this latest measure of success. Saphirra had done so many evil things to Steph, like smacking her across the face, attacking Tori, when she was only checking up on her, and had even managing to assault her mother, that Stephanie considered hair brushing at the bottom of the totem pole of things that she _really_ wanted to do with Saphirra.

Sure, she had been in zone earlier, but now that she had some time to calm down and rationalize things, she really didn't want to _hurt_ Saphirra; she just wanted to teach her a lesson.

But then again, when Stephanie remembered the fact that this woman was truly in love with her husband, she became upset all over again. She went back and forth between an extreme dislike to a hatred for the girl all the same time, and she didn't know why. Whatever the case may have been, Stephanie was thinking of a plan to rid she and Mark of Saphirra for good, because unlike all the rest of the things Stephanie had said earlier, she truly did regard herself as the dominate female in the WWF, whether the other female talent knew that or not.

_"She's got to go and she's got to go for good."_

As Stephanie sat back on the couch, flipping through the channels, anxiously awaiting to accompany Mark to the arena, she suddenly let out a small "ouch", as Saphirra had accidentally brushed over her hair a bit too roughly.

"Geesh, Ryan, careful, ok? My hair is real … unlike your's."

Once again, Stephanie's mouth widened with a huge smile, knowing Saphirra wasn't going to say anything in rebuttal against this latest verbal jab. She was too afraid of Stephanie revealing her secret infatuation with Mark, so as Stephanie pushed on, Saphirra simply went back to brushing Stephanie's hair, albeit lighter this time.

At that point, Mark's cell phone, which had been placed on one of the end tables in the living room, began ringing. With both ladies looking up at it, Stephanie was the first to speak, waving her hand effortlessly, ordering, "Ryan, fetch that for me."

Dutifully, Ryan walked over to the end table and brought the phone back to Stephanie, who then rudely chided, "Took you long enough."

Looking down at the ringing phone, under normal conditions, Stephanie would never answer Mark's cell phone, but since she was had like a bit of a hell cat in her now, and she really wanted to show Saphirra who the true dominate female was, she decided to flip down the door protecting the buttons on the phone, tossing her freshly brushed hair to the side, and pressing "Send", secretly hoping that it was a member of the Ministry on the other end.

"Hello?" Stephanie asked curiously, not as confident as she wanted to portray, but then again, if she and Mark were going to continue this farse of an unhappily married couple, then Stephanie had to remember to play her part, as well. Well, at least that's what she secretly told her herself.

"Steph, put Mark on the phone. It's urgent," the voice called out from the other end, as if the person was in a rush. The person on the other end of the call was speaking in such a rushed manner that Stephanie couldn't properly make out whom the voice belonged to. She knew it was a male, and that's about it.

"May I know who's speaking?" Stephanie asked again, definitely more curious now. Even Saphirra exchanged a quick glance of curiosity.

Sighing, not in the mood to explain themselves, the voice on the other side of the call replied in a huff, "Paul."

"Bearer?" Stephanie asked confusingly. She knew that Paul Bearer was a jokester, having pulled more than his fair share of ribs on people throughout his career, but Stephanie didn't know he was a ventriloquist, also.

Clearly irritated, the voice on the other end of the call stated yet again, "Bearer? No, ya idio … Levesque. Triple H. Look, just put Mark on the phone."

_"Triple H? What is he doing calling Mark?"_ Stephanie wondered intimately.

Stephanie soon got her answer when from out of the bathroom, with only a towel covering his lower half, Mark emerged, his hair was wet hair dripping down his front and back, his tattoos with a bright shine to them now. But the scowl that laced Mark's face seeing Stephanie with his cell phone, almost distracted Stephanie's very watchful eye from keenly observing her husband's near perfect body.

Walking over to her, Stephanie reached her arm out to offer the Mark the phone, while he looked back down at her with skepticism. Giving him her most innocent look she could muster, even if it was slightly wrapped in mischievousness, Stephanie listened carefully as Mark began speaking, however, once he answered, he looked more annoyed than anything.

"Yeah, everything is still on," Mark replied, turning his body away away from Stephanie, offering both she and Saphirra a birds eye view of his sculpted back. He was ripped.

"Right, no cast," he continued, looking down at the clock that now displayed 4:23. Mark's time was getting short and he didn't plan to waste anymore of it by talking on the phone with Triple H.

"Look, you just uphold your end of the bargain. You take care of your guy, I'll take care of mines. Everything goes well, you'll get your title shot."

And that's when Stephanie really got suspicious. Because she was in Greenwich at the time, she was able to watch how Triple H and Taker had literally demolished the Rock, after the interference from Triple H during Rocky's Casket Match with Mark, on top of breaking his arm.

And now, all of the sudden, Triple H and Mark were speaking on the phone to each other, when they _never_ had interactions?

_"What is going on?"_

That's when Mark ended the call by saying, "Yeah," before flipping the door back up on the phone, throwing it on the couch, and walking back into the bedroom, Stephanie following closely behind him.

_"Just what were he and Triple H talking about?"_

"Baby?" Stephanie called out to Mark. "Baby, what was all that abou …"

And right as Stephanie was about to finish her question, Mark dropped his towel, exposing her lower half, hips, ass, and … throwing Stephanie completely off. She just didn't get it. No matter how many times she and Mark had been intimate with each other, she just couldn't get over seeing him naked. To Stephanie, Mark had the body of a David or Greek Adonis, therefore she felt it would be near impossible to somehow get used to seeing him in the buff. He had such a magnificent body.

Attempting to regain her composure, even though there was a heartbeat like pulse pounding in between her legs, Stephanie, gulping, taking in the sight of her wonderful man, continued, just barely, however.

"Baby," Stephanie said, finding herself clearing her throat, then finally rushing out her next few words, finally realizing that if she didn't say what she had to say now, she never would. "Baby, what was Triple H calling you about?"

Yanking on a pair of sweat pants leg b y leg, Mark replied abruptly, "Nothing."

Wanting to get the truth, or at least a semblance of it, since it was rare that superstars like Triple H called Mark for anything, Stephanie continued, "Well, I mean, it has to be something. I mean, when does Triple H ever call you? Mark, do you guys have something planned?"

Placing his socks on his feet, then unlacing a pair of black boots, Mark replied briefly again. "It was just business," lacing up his boot rather roughly now. "Nothing more, nothing less."

Feeling she should abandon her quest for the truth, Stephanie then said, "Well, I guess I should get ready then?"

"Get ready for what?" Mark asked inquisitively, even though he already knew Stephanie's intentions … and he was planning to shut those down immediately.

"You know, for the show … tonight. Over the Edge," Stephanie stammered.

She didn't know why all of the sudden she was so nervous … anxious. She had been to all the Raw shows with Mark up until she decided to go back to Greenwhich, even if she was mostly relegated to the backstage area, but she still attended, so why did it feel like she was asking for Mark's permission now?

"You're not going to the show," Mark stated curtly, leaving Stephanie somewhat in disbelief, her eyebrow raising instantly, as almost to say, "I'm not?" She wasn't used to hearing the word no.

"And why not?" Stephanie retorted, clearly with an attitude now. Stephanie wanted to accompany Mark to the show, she wanted to be in his company. Why couldn't he see that?

"Cause you're not," Mark declared definitively.

"Mark, I mean …"

"… I mean for you to stay here," standing abruptly to reach his full height. Was serious about her not coming to the arena with him? She decided to protest again.

"But, baby, I don't want to be here alone. I don't want to be here by myself," Stephanie said innocently, almost pleading, hoping the voice she used so much on Vince in order to get her way would work the same on Mark.

"You won't be alone, you got Saphirra," Mark said sarcastically, after dressing himself a gray T-shirt, bending down to pick up his bag with his ring attire in it. Pointing towards the door as he continued to bend down, Mark continued, "She's right out there, go see for yourself."

Mark was obviously being a smartass, attempting to probably hide his frustration with Triple H calling him so unexpectedly, but, Stephanie wondered, why did he have to take that out on her?

"Mark, you know we don't get along," Stephanie stated truthfully. Using force to get her way with Saphirra had not done her any favors, and Stephanie, if she was truly forced to stay with Saphirra without Mark, knew that more than likely, things would not well for the two. She had already gone too far today as it was.

"I thought you two were best buddies now. You know, you brush my hair, I brush your's."

Then, placing a plain back hoodie on, and running his hands through his hair, Mark looked back down at Stephanie, all packed to leave. He didn't have much time as it was to prepare for tonight, and Stephanie was ,standing there, jabbering back and forth, when his mind was already made up, wasting even more time.

"That's not the case at all. Mark, I want to come to the arena with you. Please," Stephanie asked miserably. She just knew that there could truly be no other way for she and Saphirra to get along tonight.

"And why's that, Steph?" Mark asked, looking down darkly at his wife.

Her name rolling off his lips like that gave her the shivers. She didn't know why, but it did, and once again, her thoughts were temporarily delayed by grand visions of making love.

"Because," her voice squeaked, completely giving herself away. She was horny, no doubt about it, but at the moment, it was coming at the worst time.

"Because," Stephanie started again, her voice more firmer now. "If no one sees me, people will become suspicious, you know?"

Mark was clearly unconvinced, but allowed Stephanie to say her peace anyway.

"Like, we're supposed to be putting on that we don't love each other, and if people see me with you, that'll convince people more that you're still holding me against my will."

"Trust me, I've gotten all of that taken care of. Steph, I know what you're getting at, and the answer is still no."

Grabbing her about the waist, "Look, I don't want you getting involved in affairs that don't concern you. You could get hurt. We can't risk it."

"But, baby, I grew up in this business. I know how to handle myself. I promise, I won't get in your

way."

"No go, Steph," before kissing her on the top of her forehead.

"Ok, well, what if my mom shows up? She's already messed up most of your plans for tonight. Maybe I can help."

That's when Mark stopped and truly contemplated what Stephanie was saying. He knew that her other points were all near baseless, that she was just sprouting things off just so she could come to the arena, however, her talk about Linda resonated with him in the fact that Linda _had_ stuck a huge monkey-wrench in many of his plans tonight. And even though he had been given word that Linda had made these slight nuisances from Connecticut, who's to say she really was? What if she decided to fly in to Kansas City on last minute? What if she already was in Kansas City?

And if she was, having Linda interfere in his match again tonight, is something that he truly could not afford. He had promised Stephanie that he would never physically harm her mother. He didn't like putting his hands on women anyway unless he had absolutely had to, which was rare, but Linda was making that previous declaration very hard to follow.

But what could Stephanie do to tame her mother? Asking his wife just that, expecting for her not to give him an answer, since he honestly couldn't think of one, Stephanie replied, "Well, I can keep her away from you and to not to get involved in the match. I'll tell her that if she doesn't get involved in the match, then you'll let me come back home."

"What if she calls the cops? I am 'holding you hostage'," Mark noted with sarcasm. Right now, Stephanie's plan didn't sound all that promising, but anything to curb the enthusiasm of her meddlesome mother he'd be willing to consider.

"Then I'll tell her that if she does, you'll sell your share of the company. Mark, trust me, after all the things she's seen you do, she won't put anything past you."

"Yeah, but what about you?"

It's not like Stephanie could magically say one or two words and Linda would vanish, and even though the two of them had made up, Stephanie had still chosen to leave him. Who's to say she and Vince didn't have some plan orchestrated to take the title off of him tonight, to gain the company back? Stephanie, after all, was still a McMahon, and Mark had seen her vindictive side more than once.

_"Why should I trust her?"_

Contemplating his decision hard, looking down at Stephanie, who almost seemed desperate at this point, weighing both the pros and the cons, Mark made his decision.

"Ok," Mark said looking at the clock, noting the time. It was 4:31 now and he had to get a move on. Traffic as they got closer to the arena would be heavy and he didn't need to arrive late. He had to execute all of his plans tonight. "You've got five minutes to get ready. Go."

Jumping, Stephanie began grabbing a bag immediately. She was already dressed in a black WWF logo t-shirt and black stretch pants, so she hurriedly found a pair of sneakers. Normally, she'd never be seen like this, but her time was very limited now. Mark was known for his strict discipline, so when he said five minutes, he absolutely meant it. Stephanie, however, grabbing her cellphone, felt like she broke the world record for getting ready in just a little over three minutes.

Out of breath, yes, but at least now she didn't have to stay at the hotel, Stephanie walked over to the door, just as Mark was opening it for her, surprised to see Christian standing in the living room. Without even saying so much as a word, Christian retrieved Mark and Stephanie's bag, leaving out of the hotel room just as quickly and quietly as he came.

As Saphirra sat on the love seat, looking up at both them, attempting to analyze the situation, Mark ordered her up, as well. Standing to her feet, Stephanie, realizing what Mark was about to say, to her utter dismay, heard her husband order Saphirra out of the door, as well.

And whether Stephanie liked it or not, Saphirra was coming to Over the Edge, too.

* * *

><p>It was Monday morning now. About twelve hours had passed since Over the Edge, and Stephanie was still being consoled by Saphirra, who in turn, was completely numb herself. There was simply no explanation either one of them, nor could any of the performers for the that matter, give that would make explain why what happened to Owen … happened.<p>

The night before, after Owen's accident, Mark, being the only true authority figure in the venue, as Linda truly had stayed home in Greenwich, made the decision, the only conscious decision he could make, and that was to cancel the rest of the pay-per-view.

And money, with the company having to refund fans their money, was not an issue with him, either.

With Mark being so close to the Hart family, especially before Bret's departure to WCW, Mark felt compelled to stop the show. No one, not the fans, not the talent, nor any other personnel for that matter, needed to continue with Over the Edge after Owen's accident. The company needed begin an official investigation int6o Owen's fall, and ultimately, a family had a healing process to begin. And to Mark, that mattered more than anything else in the world.

Upon arriving back at the hotel from the arena, Stephanie had decided to turn off her cellphone. She was just receiving far too many phone calls in such a short amount of time since Owen's passing, and she just couldn't handle it all.

As she continued to sob, all Stephanie could think about were all the great times she and Owen shared together over the years.

Whether he was pulling a rib on one of the superstars or doing what he loved to do best, and that was to perform for all the WWF fans, Owen _always_ was the life blood of the WWF locker room, a person who, no matter the situation, could always put a smile on Stephanie's … or anyone else's face for that matter … and now he was gone.

Stephanie's thoughts also traveled to Owen's immediate family, Martha, and his children, Oje and Athena. Just the realization that Martha's husband, the father of her children, was no longer with any of them, made Stephanie wallow even more, since everyone knew how much of a consummate family man Owen truly was.

Aside from his notorious and hilarious pranks, Owen spent very frugally while on the road traveling with the company. He even had plans to retire young, to build a new home for his wife and his children, and now those plans would no longer come to fruition. And that's what hurt the most to Stephanie.

Owen, one of the greatest men Stephanie had had the pleasure of meeting, in and outside of the squared circle, met his untimely demise from a freak accident. The roster, the world, had truly lost one of the greatest talents ever to lace them up …

Mark, trusting his wife in her care, left Saphirra in charge of transporting she and Stephanie to St. Louis for tonight's show, while he on the other hand flew to Calgary to meet with the Hart Family.

Despite the fact that Mark and Owen had grown somewhat apart since Bret, Davey Boy, and Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart, had all departed for WCW the years prior, Mark still considered himself a friend to the family's. In fact, Mark and Bret, although with their conflicting schedules, professional, and person lives, still spoke on the phone with each other on a regular basis.

Mark was even the person who informed Bret after the Montreal Screwjob, that Shawn Michaels, despite playing coy and innocent, was in on the ruse to strip him of the title the entire time. As the locker room general, Mark was the one who demanded answers from Vince on why he would double cross "one of the boys", and was the person Vince spoke to exclusively the day after that fateful night in Montreal.

And with Mark's position now in the company, if anyone were to support the Hart family in their time of need, it was him.

As the day loomed by slowly, Stephanie's inner thoughts were consumed of nothing and no one but Owen, the what if's, and more specifically, the why's. She wasn't able to eat, she wasn't able to sleep. She knew that with her being pregnant, she needed all the rest and food she could get, but she was in no mood for, either. She had even mentally decided to postpone getting her prenatal vitamin prescription filled. She just wasn't in the mood to do anything at the moment.

Around 11:00 a.m., Stephanie and Saphirra, with the help of Christian, checked out of their respective hotel rooms. Although Mark had flown to Canada to be with the Hart Family, the rest of the company were still to travel to St. Louis tonight, for a show that had been effectively, and quite fittingly, dubbed Raw is Owen.

On tonight's show, Stephanie, Linda, along with Pat Patterson, would lead the entire WWF roster down the ramp-way for a 10-bell salute to Owen. Mark had ordered for all competition to be cancelled, as well, but if the superstars wished, they could still compete, a tribute of sort to their lost friend.

The drive to St. Louis was a four-hour ordeal of more tears on Stephanie's behalf, along with phone calls from other superstars and personnel, who were all still in shock themselves.

Upon arriving at the Hilton Hotel in Downtown St. Louis, Stephanie would normally be ecstatic about the very modern and upscale 2-room corner suite that she and Mark would be sharing. Everything was interconnected, from the living room to the kitchenette to the bedroom, but Stephanie honestly could care less about the decor of a room at this moment.

After taking a much needed hot bath, and changing her attire, wearing a pale blue button down and beige knee-length skirt, brushing her own hair this time, Stephanie, accompanied by Saphirra and Christian, made their way to the sold-out Kiel Center, where Raw is Owen would take place, the only minutes away drive feeling more like hours to Stephanie, whose heart was beating out of her chest, butterflies in her stomach making her all the more nauseous.

Once the trio arrived backstage to the arena, Saphirra, who had been solemn, but otherwise completely void of all emotions since Owen's passing, suddenly became defensive, almost as if she were guarding Stephanie. With Christian retrieving Stephanie's bags from the trunk of the car, he was totally unaware of the fact that Linda, followed closely by Pat and Gerald Briscoe, was closing in on them.

And maybe it was the fact that Owen had just passed away, or maybe it was the fact that Stephanie had secretly left Greenwich without her mother's knowledge, or even both of those things combined, but when Linda saw her daughter, she instantly burst into tears, reaching out to embrace her, the tears of agony streaming down her face before Stephanie could completely welcome her mother. It was at that moment, however, that Stephanie, returning the exchange, attempting to soothe her mother's anguish, felt more like her father.

Whenever Linda was upset, Vince would always be there for her, to calm her, to comfort her, and that's what she had to do at this moment. She had to be both Vince and Stephanie.

Saphirra, regarding anyone other than Mark as the enemy, attempted to break up the raw moment between the mother-daughter duo, however, when Stephanie slowly turned to Saphirra, returning her own expression of hurt and despair, Saphirra slowly eased away, realizing that the time and the place, for what would have been an altercation, was not now. Everyone was affected by Owen's passing.

Even Christian, with the scene capturing his attention, didn't attempt to interrupt the moment Stephanie and Linda were sharing. It was at times like these that family and the strength in unity were needed the most. And surely, Owen would want better for the company.

The atmosphere behind the scenes was grim. There were several superstars and divas, mainly Jeff Jarrett, Owen's tag team partner at the time, and Debra, Jeff and Owen's valet, who were simply besides themselves with grief. Shock over what had happened had besieged everyone.

After the 10-bell salute to begin the show, the WWF aired tribute packages of Owen, along with a series of special interviews from the superstars and divas themselves, who recounted their fondest memories of "The Black Hart". They're were even several superstars, including the Rock, who wore a black armbands, with the initials "OH" printed onto them, who competed, not in the name of competition, but for the legacy and memory that Owen had prematurely left behind. They knew that Owen would not want it any other way than that.

As Raw went off the air, backstage, Stephanie had another hard task to overcome, and that was convincing her mother that it was only best for her to stay in Houston with Mark, and that, coupled with the loss of Owen, was no easy feat for Linda as a mother.

Linda was completely shaken and heartbroken that Vince and Steph had seemingly conspired to some sort of revenge against Mark, just in order for Vince to regain control of the company. It was to the point now that Linda was ready to take legal actions against Mark! She just couldn't fathom possibly losing her daughter the same way the Hart's had lost Owen.

And with that, Stephanie's emotions were all over the place. Why couldn't Vince care for her as much as Linda was showing right now? Why was he so concerned about only regaining the majority interest in the company? Why wasn't Stephanie's safety a priority for him?

Throughout the day, in spite of Owen's death, no less, Stephanie realized that Vince hadn't even bothered to call her. Yet he tracked her down by her hotel room back in Kansas City? Now, she was on live television, albeit paying her respects to Owen, and not one phone call from her own father?

Her mind heavy with various emotions and thoughts, her father, her mother, her husband, her baby, Owen … Stephanie had to think on her feet and she had to think fast.

The way that Linda was speaking at the moment, she'd be back home in Greenwich in mere hours, and she couldn't sacrifice her father, no matter how mad she was at him at the moment, knowing that she was a failure, that their "plan" had failed. At first, she claimed she didn't care what Vince would think of her if she didn't execute things properly, but now in the thick of it, she really did. No matter how mad and angry she was at her father, she just couldn't help wanting to make him happy.

But she also couldn't leave her husband. And if either Vince or Mark found out she was with child before she had the opportunity to purposely plan things out …

That's when Stephanie had to remind Linda that the next TV taping of Monday Night Raw, in Moline, Illinois, would take place the following night on Tuesday.

Even though the WWF had begun phasing out taped Raw shows, this one was absolutely necessary. Owen's memorial service would more than likely take place sometime within the next week, and Stephanie rationalized to her mother, if she could somehow stay with Mark until Tuesday night, and then make her "escape", while Mark was busy with competition, seeing as he was already booked to meet Stone Cold for the WWF title, which would have been defended at Over the Edge, then she would make her "getaway" there, promising her mother she'd return to Greenwich then.

Even Jerry and Pat agreed that this seemed to be the best course of action, as not to alarm the Ministry. With the emotions of everyone being at an all time high tonight, and the Ministry still being assigned to protect Stephanie, Pat and Jerry explained to Linda that there'd be no way they could even make it out of the building now. They jointly suggested a distraction, and since there was no greater distraction than Stone Cold Steve Austin, the proposed plan was to make the getaway tomorrow night, with the Ministry being on standby for the post match between Austin and Taker, and Taker himself being preoccupied with hell in a black vest, tights, and boots.

It took Linda a while to ponder what Stephanie, Jerry, and Pat were truly considering. After all, she wanted her daughter out of harm's way as quickly as possible, and leaving Stephanie once again in the hands of the Ministry, literally made her sick on the stomach. But if they got caught tonight, with no security escorts at that, then they'd all be doomed for failure.

About an hour and a half later, with countless questions, how's, why's, and what if's, being asked and thrown out, as far fetched as this entire idea sounded in her head, Linda finally agreed to allow Stephanie to remain under the auspices of the Ministry, just for one night only. But immediately after that, Stephanie would come home, and Linda, with every fiber in her being, was going to make sure that this exact scenario happened.

After hugging Pat and Jerry, and then her mother, which seemed to go on for the longest of times, Stephanie, with Saphirra following behind her, exited the arena, departing for the hotel. After arriving back at the spacious suite again, Stephanie ran herself a warm bath. As she nestled comfortably in the limb tingling water, Stephanie's brain ran amok with a series of emotions and thoughts. Owen was gone, she was pregnant, and her personal life was in limbo. She had promised her mother that she'd return to Greenwich the following night, but Stephanie just couldn't do that, There was still that "deal" with Vince, and she really wanted to stay in Houston with Mark.

So what could she do in order to ensure that, even though her mother would undoubtedly be hurt, she'd return to the care of her husband? Stephanie thought and thought for a while, running various scenarios through her mind.

She thought about not showing up to the arena tomorrow night, or simply catching an early flight back to Houston, but if she did that, Linda would probably freak out and call the cops on Mark. She had already mentioned law enforcement helping to sort out this whole sordid arrangement Stephanie found herself in, and if that happened, what would Mark do with the company in retaliation? There was no reasoning with him when he was upset, and only the talent and other WWF employees would suffer in the long run.

With seemingly no real answer in sight, Stephanie nearly bolted from the water when she suddenly came to the realization that her answer was right in front of her face … or better yet … right down the hallway from her.

_"But will it work?" _Sure, she'd have to do some tweaking with her initial plan, but this could be her one chance to stay with Mark. Otherwise …

After Stephanie finished bathing and toweling dry, she slowly crept back into the bed, completely naked. Other than being in Mark's presence, she never slept nude. However, this was a completely different night. Stephanie had not the mental nor physical strength to even attempt to cloth herself for the night. There was no one inside the room but her anyway. Once she had tucked herself into bed, that's when she lightly began sobbing again.

It honestly felt like, no matter how seemed to tackle one hurdle, there were hundreds more immediately following it. She just didn't know if she could handle it all anymore.

It must have been a little after dawn, when Stephanie, still naked, felt a cold draft sneak around her backside, as if the covers were lifting from her body. Being more alert than usual, after all, she was in a foreign city without the guise of any protection, Stephanie's eyes suddenly sprang open. That's when she felt someone, a heavy figure, seeing as the bed dipped, crawling to her!

Turning her body around suddenly, ready to scream at the top of her lungs, the lamp on one of the end tables suddenly illuminated the dark room, revealing no one other than her husband. As Stephanie looked up at Mark, her heart beating a mile, she suddenly felt relief fill her entire body. So much had transpired within the last twenty-four hours that she was beyond paranoid that something else would transpire.

But unlike before, when she was afraid of Mark, dreaded ever being in his presence, being in her husband's mere presence calmed her, brought peace to her mind. That never happened with anyone else nor under any other circumstance. Mark was truly the only man on earth, besides her father, perhaps, who could almost drive Stephanie mad, but then turn right back around and do the exact opposite. Surely that had to be an a testament of her love for this man.

Placing his dark sunglasses onto the end table and then slowly peeling off his leather vest, Mark slowly slid into the bed, bringing his wife into his arms, before turning off the lights to the room. And for the brief moment that Stephanie saw his face, for the first time in a long time, Mark looked truly exhausted.

Stephanie remembered when Kane was first signed to the company, and how he and Paul Bearer would calculate and attack random members of the roster. With Mark being the unspoken locker room leader, the superstars expected Mark to handle the issue with his brother without them being sacrificed for whatever perceived evil Taker had committed to his younger brother.

That alone was enough to drive a man mad, but when Mark started being on the end of Kane and Paul Bearer's madness, Stephanie, while backstage once, searching for her father, came across Mark in his dressing room. To say he looked defeated was an absolute understatement. It seemed as if he was at wit's end about how he should handle that situation, and that's the exact same expression Mark had on his face before lying down.

Stephanie wanted to turn around, to ask her husband about the Hart's, to want to ask for his assurance that everything moving forward would be ok, but upon seeing Mark's dimmed expression, and knowing how awful she was truly feeling herself, Steph opted for silence instead.

As she turned her body to lie her head onto her husband's chest, Mark planted both his hands into his wife's hair, planted a soft kiss onto her forehead, and simply closed his eyes. While Stephanie attempted to do the same, attempted to relish in some well-deserved sleep, she found herself lying awake for hours, her mind falling right back to Owen.


	67. A Needed Reconciliation

By 8:00 a.m., Stephanie regretted wholeheartedly not getting the sleep she needed when she had the chance. There was another show tonight, and she and Mark would be driving 261 miles to Moline, Illinois. While Stephanie knew that Mark would be doing all of the driving, despite his state of mind over Owen's passing, that didn't expel her from being completely spent. She had never felt so drained, so tired, so spent in all of her life, not even when Mark was stalking her, and that spoke volumes to her.

An hour later, she and Mark, while Saphirra rode with the Brood, were on their way to the Mark of the Quad Cities Arena, which would surely be a very important night. In order to honor the company's Over the Edge commitments, the card from the previous Sunday, all of which were not competed, would be decided on tonight's show, including Triple H's bout with the Rock, and the World Wrestling Federation title match between Taker and Austin.

Despite the tragedy with Owen taking place later in the night, at Over the Edge, the Ministry had already picked up a huge victory with the Acolytes retaining their tag titles.

While D'Lo, Mark Henry, Kane, Farooq, Shamrock, and Bossman, fought all throughout the arena, the referee losing complete control over the match, the two legal men, Bradshaw and X-Pac, were left in the ring to duke it out. Just as X-Pac scored the X-Factor on Bradshaw, and about to regain the titles for he and Kane, Billy Gunn, as the ref was lost in the shuffle in the crowd, ran inside the ring and delivered a Fameasser to his former ally, knocking X-Pac cold.

As Road Dogg, Billy Gunn's own former tag team partner, ran down to make the save himself, attacking Mr. Ass, the referee ran back inside to the ring, just as Bradshaw crawled over X-Pac for the pin. But X-Pac, having the heart of a champion, got a shoulder up right before the pin fall. The final nail in the coffin came, however, when Bradshaw tossed the near defeated X-Pac into the ring ropes, and literally turned X-Pac inside out with a Clothesline from Hell. The Acolytes had successfully defeated three other teams and retained their championships.

Mideon and Mr. Ass would also meet later on that night, as well, as the Finals for the vacated European Championship would also be decided, so Raw was stocked to the gills tonight with competition, and winning meant everything to the Ministry, especially since the Brood lost their handicap match against Big Show and Mankind the night prior. So if Mideon could bring even more gold to the Ministry, then the more powerful they would become.

Per the Over the Edge rules, all of the stipulations would from the night before would still stand. For Taker's match against Austin, if any member of the Ministry interfered on Taker's behalf, then Mark would be stripped of the title. And with the Hart Family and the funeral plans weighing heavily on his mind, Mark could not afford to lose tonight. He just couldn't. Retaining the gold meant everything to him.

On top of Mark having trouble with Austin, Stephanie now also had trouble with Linda. She had promised her mother that she'd return to Greenwich, making some mad dash for survival, while Mark was busy with Austin. However, Stephanie had formulated a plan while taking a soak last night, and when she and Mark made it to Moline, that's when she would put those plans into motion.

The drive to Moline from St. Louis was a 4-hour ordeal of silence between Mark and Stephanie, the first time she could recall that she and Mark didn't exchange some sort of conversation while in each other's presence. When Stephanie wasn't asleep, she answered a few phone calls from various superstars and others pertaining to the tragedy that had occurred at Over the Edge, but she and Mark were dead silent to each other. The experience was sobering to say the least.

The press had also somehow gotten ahold to both Stephanie's and Mark's phone numbers. News outlets, from CNN to ABC, were both attempting to have a word with the pair, and when Mark finally did speak to Steph, it wasn't as pleasant as she thought it'd be.

"When we get back to Texas, we _both_ change our phone numbers! Got it?"

Stephanie, knowing Mark was hurt himself about Owen's accident, and now agitated with a bunch of hungry reporters, only wanting to get the latest scoop on a serious tragedy, and not truly caring about Owen nor any of his family and friends, simply nodded in return. Now was not the time to pick a fight over the tone of voice used in conversation.

After arriving in Moline a little after noon, and staying at yet another Hilton Hotel, Mark and Stephanie unloaded in yet another suite. The hotel room was not as beautiful as the suite they had temporarily acquired in St. Louis, but a nice room nonetheless. Because time was of the essence, Mark once again assigned Saphirra to Stephanie's care, while he on the other hand departed for the arena. There was only about six hours left until the start of Raw, and Mark had to make absolutely certain that he retained his championship, one way or the other, Ministry or no Ministry.

Despite exchanging little to no words while on the road, Mark left Stephanie with a huge kiss before departing. Saphirra would accompany Stephanie to the arena later in the evening, and with that, he was gone.

And this was exactly the moment that Stephanie was looking for. One on one time with Saphirra. After all, if she was going to make a life for herself with Mark as she truly envisioned, then she needed to put her plans into motion, right here, right now.

On the road to Moline, other than the thoughts being consumed of Owen, Stephanie mostly remained silent because she was in deep thought. She had one piece to her grandiose puzzle already put in place, so all she needed now were the pieces to merry everything together. That, however, would have to come later that night.

As Saphirra was sitting in with Stephanie, which felt more like babysitting, since the two honestly only had a loathing for one another, Stephanie sprang into action.

_"It's now or never, McMahon."_

Stephanie, walking over to Saphirra, who was sitting on the couch, strangely watching CNN, as they covered the death of Owen, on closed captions, with the television's volume on mute, began speaking.

"Ryan? Can we talk for a moment, please?"

Looking up at her with a dead, lifeless look, Stephanie was inwardly ashamed of both she and Ryan. Even though Owen had suddenly passed away, and the locker room, and even they too for a brief moment, came together, ultimately she and Ryan were still at each other's throats, and she realized that it shouldn't be that way.

Ryan was being forced by Mark to keep an eye out of Stephanie, which was very much against her will, while Stephanie on the other hand was plotting to take she, and possibly, if push came to shove, others down with her.

Would Owen want this for them? Certainly not, Stephanie thought, but then again, Ryan _was_ in love with her husband. So Stephanie convinced herself that she had to do everything within her power to make sure that Ryan, sooner rather than later, was out of the picture for good, and if all went according to planned, Ryan would be infatuated with someone else.

_"See, McMahon? You're actually doing a good thing here."_

As Ryan hadn't answered Stephanie's request for a conversation, only shooting her up a dirty look, Stephanie asked again, curtly almost, attempting to bite back vitriol. It honestly seemed like no matter how hard she tried with this girl, she just couldn't get anywhere with her.

"Can we talk," Stephanie repeated.

Grabbing the remote control from the table in front of her, snapping the television off with a press of a button, and then throwing the remote violently back onto the table, Ryan answered, sucking her teeth along with way, "Shoot."

Nodding, clasping her hands together in front of her, Stephanie said calmly now, "Thank you. Ryan. I need your help."

Raising an eyebrow similar to what the Rock would do, her face bringing about a small smile to it, not one of pleasure, but one of a shocked disbelief, Saphirra responded, almost in disbelief coldly, "You need _my_ help?"

Nodding profusely, attempting to look as sympathetic as possible, Stephanie answered quickly, "Yes. I need … I need your help."

Ryan never thought that she'd see the day where Stephanie McMahon, the woman who was singlehandedly blocking a blossoming romance between she and her master, ask her for help.

_"Now that she's sprouted out all of that dominate female bullshit," _Ryan thought intimately. _"Now she says she needs my help?"_

But hearing Stephanie admit that she needed her help, gave Saphirra a surge of energy that she hadn't had since their last verbal altercation. And she needed answers from the bitch, fast!

"Yeah … right," Ryan said cockily, knowing that if Stephanie truly did need her help, then it would be _Stephanie_ who would be at _her_ mercy, not the other way around. And finally, just maybe, she could rid the Ministry of the little Greenwich brat, and take her rightful spot as her master's mistress, right by his side!

"What kind of help, McMahon. Despite you basically threatening me the other day, despite Owen not being around anymore, despite all that has happened, _nothing_ has changed between us. You understand? So, with that being said," Saphirra said emphatically, leaning back into the couch, crossing her legs quite cockily. Having Steph admitting that she needed her help was quite a mental coup for her. "Why do you need my help?"

Nodding, acknowledging the fact that this was going be harder than she expected, a lot harder, Stephanie, as nicely as possibly, temporarily attempting to forget that she detested Saphirra, replied, "Of course, and I realize that. That's why I need your help, Ryan."

"What help? Come on, spill it, McMahon," Saphirra rushed, wanting Stephanie to get on with things. She just knew that all of this was going to lead to something else, something bigger.

"Well, first, I want us to start on a clean state. No more dominate or alpha female, no more competition, just a fair, clean slate, and hopefully, a new beginning."

That's when Saphirra was really lost as to what Stephanie was aiming for. Why would she now, not only ask Saphirra for her help, but also extend to her an olive branch, out of thin air seemingly? Before Owen's death, Stephanie had Saphirra crushing ice with her bare hands and brushing her hair for hours on end, and now, all of the sudden, she wanted to wipe the slate clean with them?

_"Just what is her motive?"_

Despite her brother's best efforts, Saphirra had picked up a lot of knowledge in both the ultimate fighting and the professional wrestling worlds. She had seen, heard, and learned a lot of things, mainly being: everyone had an agenda. Much like her master had an agenda, and that was to become the most powerful man in sports entertainment, Stephanie, as the daughter of still one of the most powerful names in professional wrestling, and now being the wife of the Undertaker, surely had something up her sleeve, as well. Saphirra didn't know what, but she aimed to find out.

"Ok. Talk," Saphirra said, however, still completely cynical of Stephanie's plan, whatever that may be.

"Like I said, no more of this petty who's better than whom, who's the most dominate female BS," Stephanie declared. "I want us both to get along. I want us to move forward. To start anew. In light of all that has happened these last couple of days, I think now would be the perfect time for us to do so."

"Oh, really?" Saphirra asked suspiciously, with Stephanie nodding right afterwards.

"And may I ask what brought all of this about? You sure weren't singing this tune on Sunday. Why the change of heart now?"

"Owen," stated Stephanie plainly. And although this was only half true, Owen truly was the motivation behind the plea for ceasefire between the two. She just needed the other half of her plan to come to fruition, as well.

"Owen?" asked Saphirra, almost in complete disbelief.

_"A person dies, and now she wants to make up?"_

"Yes, Owen," Stephanie answered, continuing her revelation. "Ryan, I know that Owen, looking down on us right now, would not want us to continue 'rivalry'. The women in the WWF are already few in number, and we should stick together. Anything can happen to anyone. Tomorrow, _today_, is not even promised. If something happened to you, despite what you may think, I would be devastated."

Walking over to Saphirra now, sitting right beside her, attempting to drive her point home, Stephanie continued, "That's why we need to move on from … this. Put our best foot forward to moving forward. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to take that step."

"So, you're not bullshitting me?" Saphirra asked skeptically. Stephanie could talk a good game all she wanted, but deep down inside, Saphirra knew better.

Her father was one of the dirtiest, if not the dirtiest player in the game. Besides questionable business tactics practices, paying local television stations in the 80s not to run syndicated wrestling programs, and systematically driving the territories out of business, Stephanie was still a McMahon, meaning she could not be trusted so easily

_"Just who does she think she's fooling? Does she think I'm a dummy? Grrr… I'll show her."_

"Ok, if we're going to start fresh, there's two things you have to do for me," Saphirra suggested.

Without skipping a beat, prepared seemingly to meet Ryan halfway on anything she fairly positioned, Stephanie replied meekly, "Ok."

"One, my name is no longer 'Ryan', and it hasn't been for weeks. If we are going to move forward, then you have to refer to me by my new Ministry name, and that's Saphirra. 'Ryan' no longer exists to me."

Nodding her approval, since she made it a point, sometimes out of habit, sometimes out of pure spite, to refer to Saphirra as Ryan, Stephanie replied, "Ok, fine. What's the second thing?"

"You tell me, McMahon. I have a weird feeling that there's more to this than what you're just saying. So why don't you get on with it."

_"Geez, this girl is like night and day. One minute you think you have something, the next, she bites your head off!"_

"Well, let's make another deal. I'll respect your wishes if you respect mines and refer to me by my name, Stephanie."

Rolling her eyes, since she honestly could not stand the name "Stephanie", let alone say it herself, Saphirra realized that if she was going to get the truth out of her, she had to play along a little bit, as well. So, against her better judgement, she agreed.

"Thank you."

"Ok, now back to you needing my help."

"Right," Stephanie nodded. "Saphirra, I need your help, not just to wipe the slate clean between us, but to help me with something else … tonight.

"So, you do have an agenda?" Saphirra realized, almost pissing herself with jubilation. She loved being right, and being right about Stephanie made her warm and fuzzy inside, an emotion she rarely, if ever, felt.

"Ok," Saphirra said smilikng, licking her chops. If Stephanie could have an agenda, then so could she. "Ok, _Stephanie_. I'll help you," Saphirra agreed, knowing that what Stephanie needed help with couldn't be all that dastardly. I mean, she was sort of keeping this pregnancy thing a secret, at least for the moment anyway, so it probably wasn't anything too sinister she needs help with.

"What ya have in mind?"

"I want you to abduct me," Stephanie said outwardly, without the hint of hesitation.

That's when Saphirra's mouth completely went dry, her mouth agape with confusion.

_"What in the hell is she talking about, abducting her? And why in the hell would I do that? She secretly trying to have me put in jail? Or worse, committed?"_

"I know you're a goody two shoes, but are you high?" Saphirra asked incredulously, not truly believing what Stephanie had just asked her. "Seriously. What's the real deal?"

"I told you," Steph replied frankly. "I want you to help abduct me."

Shaking her head, attempting to make sense of what Stephanie was saying, Saphirra, in disbelief, asked again, "I think you've been drinking too much Ministry Kool-Aid. Why would I do that?"

"Because," Stephanie squeaked, nearly giving herself away. "Because, _Linda_ has made up in her mind that I'll leave with her, willingly … tonight … in favor of returning to Greenwich, and as you already know, that can't happen."

That's when Stephanie placed her hand over her stomach, silently emphasizing her pregnancy status. Saphirra sneered. Of course, she knew this wasn't going to endear herself to this woman, almost gloating that she was having Mark's child, but there was a method to her madness.

"So you basically expect me to kidnap you? I mean, haven't we already gone through this already?"

"We have, but that was obviously different," Stephanie recalled unpleasantly. Having her bedroom ravaged and her sanity challenged were things Stephanie didn't miss at all, but this time, things would be noticeably different. Just then, Stephanie then began to mentally recount all of the ups and downs she and Mark had gone through as a couple. And while the bad outweighed the good in number, the good seemed to overshadow everything else.

Realizing she was smiling to herself, Stephanie looked up to see Saphirra staring back at her apathetically, then sarcastically asked, You don't say?"

That's when she stood up and walked across the room, folding her arms up, staring back at Stephanie, wanting to hear the rest of what she had to say.

"I do say," Stephanie replied. "And I have a plan."

"A plan?"

"Yes, a plan," Stephanie nearly beamed. "I have a plan for you and the rest of the Ministry."

As Stephanie relayed her plan to Saphirra, her facial expressions changed a number of times, from disbelief to outright unwillingness. By the time Stephanie had finished revealing her plan for tonight, even Saphirra now had her doubts about moving forward with all of this, and she was a woman who was up for anything since she had her transformation.

"So your big plan is to basically remain in the Ministry, while we go on to essentially take all the heat from the chairwoman and minority owner of the World Wrestling Federation? Is that what it?" Saphirra asked in utter amazement. She just could not believe what Stephanie was attempting to put her up to.

"I mean, yes and no," Stephanie said. "Yes, you'll help keep me in the Ministry per say, but at the same time, there won't be any heat on you guys whatsoever."

"And how did you come to this conclusion?"

"Because. Mark is no longer just an employee," Stephanie revealed. "Mark now _owns_ the WWF. He's probably the most powerful main in all of sports entertainment. Certainly more powerful than Ted Turner, and even more powerful than my father. You're already under the cloak of the Ministry. You'll be protected. What could possibly go wrong?"

"The fact that I could potentially land in prison or the looney bin is an immediate thought," Saphirra revealed, not so sarcastically this time, since she knew that the either one of those things could realistically happen.

"But Ry … Saphirra, wasn't it you that said that it is up to the members of the Ministry to dutifully serve your master, and if necessary, die for him, as well?" Stephanie goaded. She knew that getting Ryan to play on her team wasn't going to be easy, but at the same time, she knew that playing one Ryan's one weakness, and that was loyalty, could potentially help her along the way.

"Think about it, Saphirra. Would your master appreciate his wife being taken from him, right after defending a title that is so important to, not just him, but to the entire Ministry?"

"I … I guess not," Saphirra stammered.

For once, Stephanie saw wavering in Saphirra's eyes, and she couldn't chance a conscience suddenly springing up inside of her. If Saphirra truly was the most loyal member of the Ministry, then why was she all of the sudden was she second guessing herself?

"Think about all of the rewards that will follow if you help me with this?" Stephanie pushed on, attempting to make Saphirra see the bigger picture. "Think of how you'll be regarded as the most loyal and selfless member of the Ministry. All the perks and privileges you'll receive because of your unwavering fellowship. Don't you want that for yourself?"

"Yes, of course, it's just that …" Saphirra didn't know what had come over her all of the sudden? Was she doing the playing or was it she whom was getting played?

_"She does make a some good points … "_

"And, Saphirra, since we're starting on a clean slate, I have to tell you something," Stephanie said. "I mean, I wasn't going to say anything, but I honestly feel like you should know."

"Ok …?" Saphirra half stated, half asked. "What is it that I should know."

"It's about Mark," Stephanie stated, with enough hint of urgency in her voice to make Saphirra feel as if something was wrong.

"Ok …"

_"Out with it, McMahon!"_

"I just have to have your solemn oath, your word, that you won't say anything about this, ok Saphirra?"

Now Saphirra was really interested. Why was it so prudent that she and Stephanie keep this part of the conversation so private? And how did this all involve her?

"Yes, of course. You can tell me," Saphirra added quickly. She had to know now.

_"Got ya."_

"Saphirra, there are strength in numbers, you know that right?" Stephanie asked with sincerity.

"I suppose."

"Well, the thing is … Never mind, just forget I ever mentioned this."

And as Stephanie moved to get up, Saphirra shouted, "No!" grabbing her arm out of sheer desperation. If Stephanie's announcement had anything to do with her, she wanted to know about. Stephanie's secretive nature was all too much for her right now.

"Go on … Tell me!" Saphirra pleaded desperately.

"Ok, but remembered, you promised, and this is a clean slate," Stephanie reminded.

"Yes, yes, clean slate," Saphirra agreed.

"Well, the other day, I overheard a conversation between Paul and Mark. They were discussing the six month anniversary of the Ministry's birth, and …"

"And? And? Go on!"

That's when Stephanie got off the couch, motioning for Saphirra to join her in the bedroom. She wanted to make it seem that she didn't want to be overheard by anyone.

Closing the door gently, Stephanie began whispering, driving her point all the way home.

"Well, they were discussing the Ministry's six month anniversary, and as Paul said, everyone right now is going through an evaluation of sorts, I guess to examine your worth. They spoke highly of others, Mideon, Viscera, the Acolytes, but the one person they weren't necessarily impressed with was … you."

"Me? _Me?!_" Saphirra shouted, absolutely baffled nu what she was hearing! "Why me? I'm Master's most loyal servant! I've always served him the most! How could it be me?"

That's when Stephanie watched as Saphirra literally became unraveled. First she sat on the bed, almost rocking herself, then she began pacing back and forth across the room. She was even hyperventilating. The thought of being the first person ousted from the Ministry literally unnerved her!

And as sick as it may have sounded, Stephanie actually liked this feeling of helplessness she was instilling in Ryan. It meant that she was getting closer to her goal.

Continuing, Stephanie said, "Well, from what I heard, Mark was very critical of your attitude throughout past few weeks. And maybe some of that is my fault, but Saphirra, listen, I can help you."

_"Oh, no! Master's going to get rid of me! But she said she can help! She can help!" _

Nearly running from side of the room to the other, getting on her hands and knees, pleading with Stephanie, Saphirra nearly screamed out, "How? How? Please tell me. I need to know!"

The sight of seeing Saphirra like this was causing a conflict of emotions through Stephanie. On one hand, this was a necessary evil. She had to resort to this sort of thing in order to stay with Mark, but on the other hand, seeing Saphirra like this, on her hands and knees, begging, made her feel pretty messed up about herself, considering that Mark really hadn't said anything about an evaluation at all. Stephanie had made all of this up, and here Saphirra was, believing every single word of it.

_"No time to have a conscience now, McMahon. It's all or nothing."_

Grabbing Sapphira's hands, and pulling her to her feet almost, as if she were a child having a temper tantrum, Stephanie sat Saphirra down on the bed next to her, explaining her proposition further.

"While Mark is possibly contemplating getting rid of you," Stephanie said, as she saw huge swells of tears form in Saphirra's eyes, her lips shaky from the mere mention of Mark getting rid of her. "I can help you to stay. You do want to stay, right?"

Clasping Stephanie's hands, something she had never done before, let alone willingly touched her, Saphirra belted, "Yes, yes! Of course. Please. Please don't send me back to my brother! I'll do anything."

And she meant all of this, too. The sad part of this whole fucked up situation was that Kenny was her brother, her flesh and blood, a man she had known all of her life, who looked out for her and protected her every single chance he got. The one time he did fail to protect his baby sister, she ended up being brainwashed, to the point where she didn't even recognize nor acknowledge the fact that her given name, her birth name, was Ryan Shamrock, that Kenny was her older brother.

Stephanie also came to the realization that just now, she saw something in Saphirra's eyes that she had never seen before, and that was unwillingness. She didn't know if it was because it was she who was proposing this grand scheme and not Mark, but for any other emotion besides hatred, and her unfaltering loyalty to Mark, to resonate with Saphirra, that possibly meant that Ryan wasn't gone at all. That maybe, somewhere, deep down inside, Ryan Shamrock, the old, silly, funny, yet highly promiscuous Ryan, could still be saved so to speak.

But that also presented a problem and a messy two-sided coin for Stephanie. While she did hope to tap inside the other sided of Saphirra, she wanted to do so only if necessary. Right now, she needed Saphirra. Ryan could come back soon enough, after all, if she had her way, there would be no other need for Saphirra, but at the present, as bad as she hated to admit it, she needed the vile, evil, raving mad woman. It was the only way things could work for her tonight.

Snapping out of her moment of deep thought, Stephanie finally continued, "Well, let me help you, then. You help me tonight, help me to stay with the Ministry, and I'll do the same for you."

"H-h-h-h how will you do this?" Saphirra asked within shaky breaths.

"Mark won't dare get rid of you if I protest against it. Remember, Saphirra, clean slate?"

Saphirra then nodded. Knowing she had gotten to where she halfway needed to be, Stephanie, squeezing Saphirra's hands back, added touchingly, "Saphirra, we need each other. You help me tonight, and I'll make absolute certain that nothing will happen to you. I promise. But you have to help me."

Nodding quickly, realizing this was most likely her only chance of staying with the Ministry, Saphirra finally agreed to everything Stephanie was saying. "Ok. I'll do it. But please, _please_ don't let him send me back …"

"I won't. But we have to move quickly …"


	68. Making Things Right

The drive to the arena was less than a minute away the hotel was so close in proximity, but that still didn't stop the butterflies from once again rumbling around in Stephanie's stomach.

After her conversation with Saphirra, Stephanie gathered the entire Ministry, sans Mark and Paul Bearer, into the couple's suite, to discuss tonight's events. Being that Stephanie had earned the respect of the Ministry, and that she was also the wife of the leader of this group, she realized that she now exuded certain influence and power that her peers, by design, must obey. And that's exactly what she did.

She informed everyone, the Acolytes, the Brood, Mideon, and Viscera of her plans for a fake an abduction tonight, and naturally, once they heard of this plan, everyone was all on board.

Now that Mark was both the WWF champion and majority owner of the company, being in a group such as the Ministry meant power beyond all else. Sure, Linda had temporarily rained on their parade by interfering with match scheduling, but there were definitely strength in numbers for the Ministry. They were the most powerful faction in the company, and with gold and power, they would continue their dominance over the World Wrestling Federation.

Secondly, the daughter of both Linda and Vince, the CEO and the Chairman of the company, respectively, was a powerful woman in her own right. While Stephanie of course hadn't informed the group of her conversations with her father, with both Linda and Vince out of the company, they all realized that if Stephanie and Mark could potentially merge their influence and will, nothing or no one could stop the Ministry.

Mark had already executed the perfect hostile takeover. With Stephanie on board, their fate as the most powerful group ever in the history World Wrestling Federation would be sealed, and it would truly take an act of God for anyone to stop them.

While in discussion for tonight's show, everyone also all agreed to keep Mark somewhat ignorant of this plan, even though the members of the Ministry weren't as easy to convince of this as Stephanie had previously planned.

A lie of omission to the leader of the Ministry was still a lie nonetheless, and could garner huge repercussions for them. However, if they disturbed Mark while he was preparing for the biggest match of his career, then that could also garner backlash of epic proportion, as well. Christian's back was still healing from that beating he received in that warehouse, and that was weeks ago. The thought of Mark taking out his anger and frustration out on them, if he happened to lose the title tonight ,quite frankly scared the Ministry shitless.

Mark's focus needed to be on Austin, not Stephanie and Linda, so they all decided to keep hush on this little arrangement until further notice.

Walking into the arena around 6 o'clock that evening, Stephanie felt odd. Very odd. It wasn't so much that she was almost pulling a "screwjob" of her own unsuspecting mother, that had a lot to do with how she was feeling, but mainly she felt weird because of her attire.

Throughout the weeks that she had been with Mark, she had let her hair grow out to a length that she thought best suited her. Growing up in a corporate household, Stephanie had always been neatly groomed, and her hair was no exception. In fact, Stephanie was never even allowed to let her hair grow out past her shoulders. It was always trimmed and kept right at shoulder length.

Now that she had grown her hair out, nice and curly just the way she and her husband both liked it, which honestly suited the more mature look she had been going for over the past few weeks, here she was walking into the arena where Monday Night Raw was being held, with straightened hair.

And that wasn't the only reason why she felt strange. She was no longer dressed like a woman of the 90s. There was no leather halter top with spaghetti straps, there was no short leopard print skirt with a high split, nor was there a choker necklace, and she certainly wasn't wearing three to four inch platform heels, either.

No, Stephanie was dressed more like her old Greenwich self, like a librarian or a dull newspaper columnist, she thought to herself self-consciously. Her hair was flat ironed, she wore a pale pink cardigan, a navy blue, knee-length skirt, and a pair of blue Mary Jane flats. She looked like the Stephanie McMahon before this entire fiasco with Mark … and for some reason … that now bothered her.

_"I look like a school girl,"_ Stephanie thought to herself intimately.

And above all else, Stephanie, with her big blue eyes, and no makeup on, besides a hint of powder foundation around her cheeks and a glossy lip balm, looked … innocent. Something she hadn't looked like in quite a while. She didn't necessarily mind looking like her old self, especially when there was a job that had to be done, but she far more enjoyed looking like a girl of the Y2K era and not of the boarding school, monotony era.

With Saphirra in tow, and several WWF personnel staring at her as she walked throughout the arena, not daring to speak to her, her first order of business tonight, was not to seek out her mother, since she was all but certain that Linda would be the one to coming to search for her, but it was to search out the whereabouts of Kane and X-Pac. She had unfinished business to attend to with those two, and she needed to clear the air with them before moving forward.

After coming across the pair's locker room, Stephanie, turning to Saphirra, asked politely for a moment of privacy, so she, X-Pac, and Kane could have a brief conversation with each other.

Initially skeptical of leaving Stephanie alone, after all, she was still her appointed caregiver so to speak, Saphirra was once again reminded by Stephanie of the clean slate the two had agreed upon. In the end, of course, Saphirra agreed to Stephanie's request, walking off in search of her own locker room, since it had come to her attention that she had been banned from the locker room of the rest of the Divas. And if Stephanie wanted privacy, she was all but too willing to give it to her; she was all but desperate to stay in the Ministry.

As Stephanie began gently tapping on the door, she heard the voice of someone other than X-Pac greet her entrance. She knew it wasn't Kane, as Kane didn't speak, and it wasn't Sean, either, so who was it? Stephanie quickly got her answer when, after walking into the dressing room, the first person she lay her eyes upon was the Road Dogg Jesse James, with both Kane and X-Pac, still in their street clothes, their bodies facing their cubbies.

Shocked to see Stephanie, Road Dogg began hissing at X-Pac to gain his attention, and when he turned around to see Stephanie standing there, he was non too thrilled in the least. After all, whether anyone wanted to believe him or not, Stephanie was the cause for a lot of angst in the World Wrestling Federation, and coming off Owen's death, X-Pac had little patience for BS at the moment.

"What do you want?" X-Pac blurted out. His tone was rough, defensive, just as Stephanie's expected it to be. She knew that this was going to be an uphill battle, but what other choice did she have?

X-Pac's tone then caught the attention Kane, who, from besides a black ski mask, was also wearing normal clothing today, a warmup suit with sneakers, the complete opposite of his normal wrestling attire he would often pre-arrive to shows in, especially after the turn of both Mark and Paul Bearer at Judgement Day from the year prior.

With three larger than life superstars all staring at her in this medium sized dressing room, Stephanie felt as small as her height suggested, even though she herself was only about three inches shorter than X-Pac. Gulping, genuinely uneasy at the moment, Stephanie, knowing that it was now or never, finally spoke up.

"Sean, I was hoping that I could speak with you and Kane alone for a moment, if that's fine with Road Dogg, of course? I don't mean to intrude," Stephanie said meekly, twisting at her hands and fingers nervously. In all honestly, she was very nervous. These next few moments could go either way, and she was now second guessing if she had done enough preparing for this.

Road Dogg had obviously been made aware of Stephanie's manipulating shenanigans, and as he looked to X-Pac for confirmation to exit the locker room, upon a simple nod from the youngster, Road Dogg gave Stephanie one of the dirtiest, if not the dirtiest, look she had ever been given.

_"Samantha McCall, eat your heart out. Never thought I'd see the day where someone could give a dirtier look than her."_

And that was something Stephanie wasn't used to, getting a dirty look like that, especially from a member of the roster. Most superstars, whether it was to stay in Vince's good graces, or because they genuinely liked her, never looked at Stephanie the way Road Dogg just had. Stephanie felt as if she had been slapped.

The invisible angel on her left shoulder attempted to reason with her that Road Dogg had every right to be upset with Stephanie, especially after the stunt she pulled at that Sunday Night Heat show, but on the right shoulder, the devil tried to convince Steph that she should have to Mark stick his fist so far down Road Dogg's throat, that he'd probably pull out his intestines on the way back up.

Neither were offering a solution to Stephanie's problems at the moment, however, so she decided to dismiss her conflicting emotions and move forward with her plan for this evening.

X-Pac was the first to break the silence after Road Dogg exited. "You know, whatever it is that you've got to say, you might as well just say it, and stop wasting our time. We got a match to prepare for tonight."

Nodding gently, Stephanie replied, "I understand that completely, but I just want to get something off my chest, to both of you gentlemen."

"Yeah, ok," X-Pac, forever antsy, said. "So out with it."

Without thinking twice, without hesitation, Stephanie said, "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" X-Pac asked pessimistically. Stephanie was the reason why he had been attacked from behind, thrown out into a hallway, landing on a table as if he were a sack of trash, then attacked and assaulted on Sunday Night Heat. And now, _now_, she was sorry?

"Kane, you hear this," X-Pac asked, tapping away at his buddy's arm. "She says she's sorry."

Of course, Kane didn't verbally answer, but he did not his head once, more than likely meaning that he and X-Pac were on the same thinking page. This Stephanie McMahon was not the Stephanie McMahon of old. She had changed, and that was all due to the fact that she was now married to Mark. For that alone, being married to the most demonic creature ever to step foot inside a WWF ring, meant that Stephanie could not be trusted, but now that she had seemingly shown her true colors, both men were highly apprehensive of the former McMahon.

"So, I guess that's all you got? That you're sorry?" X-Pac scolded, as Stephanie looked on, attempting to look as guilt ridden as possible. And she did feel bad once Mark grilled her on her involvement immediately afterwards, and in a way, she still did. Apologizing was only part of her motivation for tonight, however, but nonetheless, she didn't want to see outside talent hurt by her association with Mark. Sure, she could manipulate Saphirra all she wanted to, but X-Pac and Kane had done nothing to her. She wanted to attempt to make things partially right.

"Hell, Steph, you could have saved that. Because the truth is, you are sorry. You're a sorry excuse for a human being. And that's all I have to say to you," X-Pac ended, sitting down in his cubby, attempting to prepare for his match.

The sight of Stephanie alone had sent his blood boiling, and now she was attempting to make some lame apology. He wasn't buying it.

Gulping, X-Pac's words cutting like a knife, Stephanie started again, "Sean, Glenn, I know both of you are very angry with me, and in all honesty, you both have every right to be, but please, hear me out first. Please, please let me explain myself."

Looking over at Kane, who shrugged his shoulders, as if to silently say, "Why not?" X-Pac warned, "But you've got two minutes."

"Thank you. It was never my intention to hurt you either or you; it was never my intention to hurt anyone. But I was backed into a corner. I had no choice."

Looking over at Kane, with pleading in her eyes, Stephanie added, "Kane, you know your brother better than anyone else. And with all due respect, look at your face. He did that. And in these past few months, he's changed. He's changed and I had to play along at the moment, to play along with his crazy, his madness, but no more."

And that too was also partially true.

Mark had changed. Everyone knew and recognized this. His metamorphic transformation was the catalyst behind the united superstar meeting the talent held a few weeks ago with Linda, Pat, and Jerry. Mark had turned into a mad man.

He didn't care about the well-being talent, he didn't care about breaking the law, he didn't care about anything, and both X-Pac and Kane knew this all too well.

But Stephanie also knew that she was lying when she said she had to play along with Mark's crazy. That in fact was not true, because deep down inside of her, seeing Mark's crazy turned her on. She felt like a bad girl. She just didn't like the end results when she was the one doing the manipulating and backstabbing. It didn't feel right and her conscience had made her pay big time.

Throwing his hands into the air, X-Pac then asked almost in a heap of fury, "So why'd you do it then, Steph? You mean to tell me that Mark was coercing you to do all that fucked up shit, to make me a target, to make Kane a target, to make Road Dogg a target? Is that it?"

"Yes."

_"Another lie, but he can't know that I was the one behind all that. He'd never forgive me."_

"Bullshit," X-Pac stated bluntly, calling Stephanie's bluff. There was just something about all this that just screamed phony to him.

"You've got to believe me. Sean, you know me," Stephanie endeared. "You've known me for years. You know I would have never done something like that on my own."

"So what did Mark get out of that, Steph, if he forced all of that on to you? That just seemed like something you concocted for your own twisted amusement."

Feeling he had her back into a corner, as Stephanie looked down at the floor, almost in defeat, the next few words that came from Stephanie honestly made his X-Pac's stomach somewhat turn.

"He was threatening my father again, Sean."

And that's when both Kane and X-Pac both exchanged astonished glances at each other, while Stephanie continued to look down at the floor. Sure, Vince McMahon was no martyr saint; he could be cold, ruthless, and downright cruel when he wanted to be, but to attack a man who had already been severely injured, was beyond anything reasonable. She knew she could gain sympathy for that. She needed a hook to feed these guys, otherwise, they'd see right through her again.

"He told me that if I wasn't a dutiful wife …" Stephanie continued, eyes still cast to the floor, before X-Pac had the opportunity to counter. " … That if I didn't obey him, that he'd hurt my dad and Shane again."

Lifting her head up from the floor to greet both men again, with the hint of tears sparkling in her eyes, Stephanie added, "You saw what he did to them … did to my dad . I was scared. I panicked. I know I was wrong, and that's why I'm begging for your forgiveness. And I've been miserable every since. I don't blame you if you continue hate me, but please, try to understand my position in all of this."

X-Pac once again thought back to the performer meeting, and how Linda had to run away from the meeting in a panic after Taker threatened to have the Brood attack the already wounded Vince yet again. X-Pac knew what Mark was capable of. And with that, maybe Stephanie was telling the truth.

But, in spite of it all, he still wasn't that convinced that Stephanie was telling the truth. X-Pac had been involved in professional wrestling since he was in high school. He had dealt with all kinds of backstage politics, all kinds of lies, and all kinds of backstabbing. He friendship with Shawn Michaels was still on the mends, after Shawn joined the Corporation in late 98, so he was skeptical of everything now. What may seem genuine in the flesh could be anything but underneath it all, and he was all too aware of that.

But then again … what if she was telling the truth?

"Steph, I don't know," X-Pac resolved. "Let's say that you are telling the truth. Why are you here then?"

Allowing a lone tear to fall down her face, Stephanie answered with shaky voice, "I'm here because I feel terrible and I want to make things right between us."

"No, no, I get that. But you got to see where we're coming from, too," X-Pac rationalized. "How we don't know that this just ain't another set up? If you're so afraid of the Big Bad Taker, why are you here in our dressing room? Aren't you afraid that he'll find you here."

It was at that moment, however, that there was a slight scuffle outside the dressing room door, as if someone was attempting to kick it open, which caught the attention of everyone inside the room. That's when Stephanie put on her best Oscar performance by jumping at the sound, breathing in and out heavily, shaking even. She needed to act as petrified as possible. And she needed to be. Especially if that truly was Mark or any other member of the Ministry outside that door looking for her.

When it became clear that the sound only came from someone passing, Stephanie, who honestly looked as white as a ghost, turned her focus back to Kane and X-Pac, who didn't look quite so skeptical of Stephanie as before.

"Sean, you don't know the hell I've been through. He's hurt my father, my brother, my mother, he's taken my family's company hostage, and he's made me as an unwilling bride. He's even threatened me with …"

Stopping just short or revealing something sinister, Stephanie refocused her attention to the floor again.

"Listen, Steph, I know your husband's a piece of shit," X-Pac stated bluntly. "But he hasn't put his hands on you, has he?"

_"In more ways than one …"_

Shaking her head feverishly, her hair falling about her face, Stephanie answered so soft spoken that she could barely even hear her own self speak. "No, no not yet. But with him being the champion and now the majority of the company, and with him now having a wife … he's promised … he's promised …"

"Promised what?" X-Pac asked, concern now following his words.

Stephanie knew she just about had both men just where she wanted them to be. But what could she come up with now? She wasn't about to lie and claim that Mark had physically put his hands on her. Aside from that one spanking she received, Mark had never even attempted to lift a finger up at her after that. And she couldn't say that he forced himself onto her, because he hadn't … and quite frankly … wouldn't do that, either. There had to be something she could say that would continue to appeal herself in this particular situation.

_"Come on, Steph, think. How can you spin all this without making your husband sound demonic beyond reasonable doubt?"_

"He's promised to gain an heir … from me," Stephanie sauntered out lightly, eyes still cast to the floor. It didn't sound as bad as she thought it would, but then again …

"So basically, what you're saying is, he wants to have a kid with you? And now you're hiding from him?"

"Yes and … no, Sean. I'm not running anymore," Stephanie said stoically, looking back up at both men. "After tonight, I'm no longer living my life in fear. I'm going to fight back."

X-Pac, rubbing his hands through his hair, was almost in disbelief. He knew that Mark was a sick son of a bitch, but what had Stephanie, or any of the McMahon family for that matter, done to deserve all of this? And now he was forcing a kid onto her? One Taker was bad enough, but two?

Despite this troubling revelation, however, X-Pac had to somewhat see this madness unfold for himself. If Stephanie really was telling a truth about this supposed runaway, then they'd surely hear this tonight. And he didn't plan on being Captain Save Stephanie, either. He was still weary about completely trusting her, and quite selfishly, he had his own problems to deal with.

But if she truly was being genuine, then he couldn't advise her to do anything stupid. She had to have some sort of reasonability. Mark was the hell of a man, and Stephanie, a woman, was in no position to take on all that was The Undertaker, not mentally nor physically.

"Steph, ok, I know you're going through a lot, but be sensible. Ok? Your husband, Take, that's a psycho. You need to be careful, you and your mom, or shit you'll probably end up in the sick bed next."

_"Gee, thanks. You have such a way with words."_

Nodding yet again, taking X-Pac's "advice" in stride, Stephanie said, "Thank you, and we are … going to be cautious. But we, my mom and I, have a plan. If Mark wins or loses tonight, I've already made the decision that I'm going home. There's security already in place. I can't live my life like this anymore. I can't. I won't."

"Yeah," X-Pac said while nodding, astonished at what Stephanie had just revealed. If what Stephanie was saying was true, Mark was the lowest of lows. And while he told himself that he had to have his guard up around this woman, it was hard not to be sympathetic to what she had endured over the past few months.

"Like I said, I'm sorry that I've had to interrupt you guys like this, but I've been living with a mad man. It's been four months of literal hell. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything that I've done, and I know that you don't want anything to do with me, but I just wanted to apologize. You guys didn't deserve that, and if you can't forgive me, I understand."

At that moment, with her shoulders slumped in what appeared to be near defeat, after months and months of torment and anguish, tears began to flow freely down Stephanie's face, her voice cracking. It wasn't like she was lying about her ordeal or the emotions that she had been feeling. Asides from the wanting an heir line, most of what Stephanie said had been true, so it was easy to channel her emotions.

As she turned to leave the dressing room, she was suddenly stopped by Kane, who placed his massive hands onto Stephanie's shoulder. Slowly looking up at the seven-foot tall behemoth of a man, Stephanie watched on curiously as Kane then reached inside his pants pocket and took out what appeared to be a metal remote control, except the object was cylinder in shape. Stephanie definitely didn't recognize what the object but she was sure was going to find out what it was and what it did.

Placing the gadget to the base of his throat and inhaling deeply, Kane, through the slit in his ski mask, to Stephanie's recollection, spoke his very first words. Words that were both few and simple:

"Be careful." The words, which sounded automated, as if they were coming from a robot on the fritz, were almost paralyzing to both she and X-Pac, since Kane had never spoken in either one of their presences before.

_"Dear, God. He can talk …"_

After Kane slowly took his hand off of her shoulder, then placing his "machine" back into his pants pocket, Stephanie, astounded, as X-Pac continued to look on, with his hands on his waist, truly not believing what he had just heard either, with a small "thank you", slowly walked out the dressing room, knowing that if even Kane, who had been mute since his debut in 97, could be moved enough to actually speak, to her no less, then she knew that her job was done.


	69. HBK Strikes Back

It was now time for another action packed edition of Monday Night Raw, with Jim Ross and Jerry "the King" Lawler, greeting all of the fans at home, informing them of the night's events.

Kane and X-Pac, D'Lo Brown and Mark Henry, the Big Boss Man and Ken Shamrock, along with new contenders, the Hardy Boyz, would compete in a tag team turmoil match, with the winner of the match being named the number one contenders for the Acolytes WWF Tag Team Championships at the King of the Ring.

The Women's Champion, Debra, would take on Nicole Bass, and the conclusion of the European Championship Tournament, between "Mr. Ass", Billy Gunn, and Mideon, would also be decided, along with a Hardcore Title match between new champion, Al Snow, and contender, Droz.

On top of all this competition, the Rock and Triple H would also compete, with one distinguishable catch: the Rock was barred from wearing his right arm cast, despite the fact that Rocky was healing a legitimate broken arm, putting the Great One at a distinct disadvantage, especially since Chyna would, as usual, be in Triple H's corner.

Then in the main event, the Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin, would finally meet in a re-match for not just the World Wrestling Federation Title, but for Austin's prized Smoking Skull Belt. The stakes had never been higher for a Monday Night Raw.

The night started off shaky for Taker and the Ministry, however.

Taker, flanked by his signature druids, eerily opened Monday Night Raw to start the show. Wearing the Smoking Skull Belt around his waist, the Phemon not only guaranteed that he would retain his World Wrestling Federation Title tonight, despite the fact that every member of the Ministry was banned from ringside, but he also promised that he would personally deliver Austin's mind, body, and soul to "eternal damnation".

Just as Taker ended his promo, with his music playing throughout the arena, about to return to the locker room area, from under one of the hooded druid robes emerged Stone Cold Steve Austin himself, who could wait no longer to get him a piece of the Deadman!

The fans in the arena went ballistic at the sight of Taker and Austin both going at it heavily, exchanging blow for blow with each other. They wanted to see these two go at it in the worst way possible, and most certainly, each and every fan in the arena wanted to see the Rattlesnake retain his title once and for all.

Things turned bleak for Austin quickly when, from out of the back, urged on by Paul Bearer, ran down all seven members of the Ministry, ready to do damage to the Rattlesnake.

While they all had been banned from ringside during the WWF Title match later on in the night, there was nothing that prevented them from attacking Austin up until that point. Not only were the Ministry aware of this fact, but so was Austin, as well, because just as the Ministry swarmed ringside, as he and Taker continued brawling, Austin, a desperation move without a doubt, pushed Taker forcefully into the oncoming members of the Ministry, knocking down both Gangrel and Christian in the process from the sheer force alone!

Then, from under the ring, Austin, before rolling into it and temporarily out of harm's way, grabbed an equalizer: a steel chair, and he was ready and willing to use it on any Ministry member he saw fit! As the crowd was going crazy, with Austin holding the Ministry at bay, the troops, Mankind, Big Show, Ken Shamrock, Boss Man, and Test, armed with 2x4's nonetheless, also stormed down to ringside, as well, helping Austin to even up the odds with the Ministry!

The WWF superstars were now beginning to rebel yet again against Taker and his evil regime, and as Taker, who managed to get out of Dodge unscathed, slowly backed up the ramp, while the Ministry fought off the prevailing assault, he mouthed out rather demonically how Austin would be "sacrificed" later on in the night night. Austin, however, answering Taker's threat the only way he knew how. Placing the steel chair down at his feet, Austin raised two birds in Taker's honor, with both men ready for the war that they would engage in later in the night.

The night's competition began with the tag team turmoil match. The rules for the match were simple: two teams would start in the ring randomly. Once one team was eliminated, another team would randomly enter the match, until only two teams remained. The first team to score the final pin fall or submission would be declared the number one contenders and would go on to face the Acolytes for the tag titles at King of the Ring.

The match started with X-Pac and Kane taking on D'Lo Brown and Mark Henry. The former Nation of Domination members quickly ganged up on the smaller X-Pac, exchanging quick tags back and forth, until X-Pac's speed and agility kicked into high gear, capturing Mark Henry suddenly with a spinning heel kick and then an X-Factor!

Covering him for the pin, Mark Henry showed a great feat of strength when he literally tossed X-Pac into the air for a massive kick out. In shock at Mark Henry's pure strength, X-Pac quickly tagged in his good buddy Kane, who grabbed Mark Henry about the throat, just as he was regained his footing, and in a test of strength of his own, picked Mark Henry high into the air and dropped him back down to the mat in a humungous Chokeslam.

Covering him for the pin, D'Lo Brown, who was in his corner of the ring, quickly ran inside to save his tag partner, but when Kane shot D'Lo a quick snap of the head, D'Lo wisely thought better of it, throwing himself out of the ring, and allowing Kane and X-Pac to pick up the first fall of the match.

As the referee rolled Mark Henry out of the ring, the music of the Hardy Boyz filled the arena, and the two brash newcomers, accompanied by their manager, Michael P.S. Hayes, ran down to the ring, to take on both Kane and X-Pac.

What made Kane and X-Pac such a great tag team was the fact that Kane brought the braun and the sheer power to the team, while X-Pac brought quickness and prowess in the form factor. But with Matt and Jeff, they could be both high flying daredevils and technically sound wrestlers all at the same time, a winning combination used by the likes of the Rockers, Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty, back in their day.

After taking out the X-Pac by throwing him into the steel ring steps, the Hardy's quickly neutralized Kane by double teaming him. And even though Kane was able to more than get in a little offense in, Matt and Jeff began expertly targeting the knees and legs of Kane, bringing the "Big Red Machine" down in the center of the ring.

As Matt climbed to the top rope to deliver a leg drop, which would no doubt take Kane out of the match, advancing the Hardy's to the next round of competition, the lights to the arena suddenly went out, with the familiar sound of chants and red lights filling the arena. It was the Brood's music, no doubt, but what were the Brood doing interfering in this particular match, especially since they weren't even involved in the tag team turmoil?

Everyone soon got their answer when the lights came back up, and only the referee, Kane, and X-Pac, who somehow had the strength to crawl back into the ring, remained. But both Matt and Jeff had mysteriously vanished, and Michael Hayes was on the outside on the ring, on his hands and knees, covered in crimson, a one of a kind sign that he had been the latest victim of a blood bath! But why? And what had the Brood done with the Hardy's?

Then, as the referee's count neared ten, Michael Hayes, covered in that red liquid, began screaming at the official, not truly understanding what had just happened. First the Hardy's were about to cinch in a very important victory, the next they were gone, he was covered in some sort of red stuff, and the referee was counting to ten! Suddenly, the ref called for the bell, as the Hardy's, despite Michael Hayes' pleas, were counted out of the match, advancing Kane and X-Pac to the last round of tag team turmoil, against none other than the Big Boss Man and the "World's Most Dangerous Man".

And a fight is what all four men endured. Even though Kane and X-Pac had to go up against two other teams, and the Boss Man and Shamrock were fresh as daisies, the two were determined to win back their titles at any and all costs.

With the action immediately spilling out of the ring, Boss Man hammered away at Kane, delivering clubbing blows with his forearm to the neck and back of the big man in red, while X-Pac rammed Shamrock's head against the announcer's table, knocking him loopy! They weren't in the ring for good reason. Each man wanted to prove that they were one half of the more dominate tag team, that they were the best. Anyone could win a match, but to win a fight was a completely other matter.

The referee finally regained some order, however, when the Boss Man and Kane, outside the ring, running full force at each other, delivered a big boot to each other's faces, knocking the other man down! X-Pac, feeding off the energy of the crowd, was back in the ring with Shamrock, and was giving the now exhausted Shamrock a Bronco Buster, jamming all of his right into the sternum of Shamrock.

After a count of ten, X-Pac was jacked! He and Kane were so close to the tag titles once again that he could taste it! He was setting Shamrock up for his patented spinning heel kick, a kick that had taken out so many a men, but before he could even execute the move, walking slowly down the ramp, the fans booing vehemently, came Billy Gunn, who was smiling from ear to ear.

As Mr. Ass slowly made his way down the aisle, clearly distracting X-Pac by trash talking him, from behind, screaming at the top of his lungs, clearly in that "zone" again, Shamrock latched his arms around X-Pac, just as he was returning his focus back to him, and delivered a swift belly to belly suplex to X-Pac! And even though Kane attempted to break up the count, thanks to Billy Gunn's distraction, Boss Man and Shamrock were the new number one contenders and would meet the Acolytes for the tag team championships in three weeks at the King of the Ring.

But the equally bigger story coming out of this whole ordeal was the fact that, for two nights in a row, Billy Gunn had cost Kane and X-Pac an opportunity at the tag titles!

After a short commercial break, and JR and King recapping the tag team turmoil match, WWF officials, along with Michael Hayes, were frantic in the back stage area.

They had successfully found the Hardy's … or what was left of the Hardy's, because bound to a mesh fence the WWF used as a backdrop for interviews, in plain sight no less, was both Matt and Jeff, who looked like they had been sacrificed by the Brood! With their faces bruised and their shirts ripped to shreds, the Hardy's looked almost unrecognizable!

And things would only get more interesting as the show progressed.

Debra challenged Nicole Bass to a bikini contest. If Nicole won, then Debra would give Nicole a shot at her Women's Title next week on Raw. Debra, clad in a silver garb adorned with hearts, however, clearly was the crowd favorite in the match, and won the contest easily over the more braun than beauty Nicole. Val Venis, who had accompanied Nicole to ringside, was not pleased when Nicole lost, and after attacking Jeff Jarret from behind, who had also accompanied Debra to the ring, Val ordered Nicole to whack Jarret across the head with his signature guitar. Debra, however, moved Jeff just out of the way just in the knick of time, and instead of hitting Jeff, Nicole swung and hit Val instead, who was standing directly behind Jeff!

It was after this match, however, that cameras caught both Triple H and Chyna leaving a locker room. But it wasn't just any locker room they were exiting. They ominous symbol on the door let everyone in the arena know that the pair had just left the dressing room of the Phenom! And this obviously spelled out trouble, in more ways than one. What had they been talking about?

In the Finals of the European Championship Tournament, Billy Gunn and Mideon fought for the right to call themselves the new European Champion. Mideon held up valiantly against the stud, Mr. Ass, however, after inadvertently steamrolling the referee, Mr. Ass snuck up behind Mideon, and delivered a crushing low blow to his adversary. Mr. Ass then signaled for the Fameasser, but just as he was about to execute the move, from out of the crowd came X-Pac. After the crowd, who were all cheering ferociously, got the attention of Mr. Ass, just as soon as he turned around, X-Pac delivered a wild spinning heel kick right to the side of the temple of Billy Gunn's head, clear retribution for Mr. Ass twice costing he and Kane the tag titles the night before.

Jumping out of the ring quickly and running up the ramp, knowing his job was done, Mideon, finally making his way back up to his feet, just as a clearly dazed and confused Billy Gunn made it back to his, grabbed Mr. Ass about the head and neck, then dropped him hard down onto the mat, with his Eye Opener inverted DDT. And with the referee finally coming to, with a somewhat assist from X-Pac, Mideon was the new World Wrestling Federation European Champion, bringing yet another piece of gold to the Ministry!

After this bout, Triple H then took on the Rock, after it was declared that the Rock would have to inexcusably perform without the protection of his right arm cast.

Despite the fact that Rocky had been put in a spectacular disadvantage, the Rock brought all that he could, laying the Smackdown on Triple H in the early going. The Rock was so enraged by Hemsley's attack on him the week prior, that after he got Triple H down in a corner turnbuckle, the Rock was nearly disqualified for not adhering to the referee's ten count, proceeding to stomp away at Triple H.

Once distracted by the referee however, Triple H was able to bring some offense into the match by raking the eyes of Rocky, and then began targeting his injured arm. But the more punishment Triple H brought, the more determined it seemed Rocky became to just being able to survive the match. But that was definitely more easier said than done with an injured arm, a rabid Triple H, and an interfering Chyna, who tripped the Rock from the outside on two different occasions.

On the last occasion, the Rock was able to nearly bring Chyna into the ring over the top rope, grabbing her about the hair, but Triple H from behind attacked the Rock's arm again, saving Chyna from near catastrophe.

The two men went back and forth with each other until Triple H, attempting to deliver a clothesline, had the maneuver dodged by the Rock, who was about to set up for the Rock Bottom, but Triple H desperately fought out of the move, returning to the well and attacking Rocky's injured arm, by delivering a drop arm bar to the mat, the Rock writhing in pain.

That's when Chyna accosted the time keeper, grabbed the ring bell, and with Triple H distracting the referee, slid the bell under the bottom rope. That's when Chyna, on the other side of the ring, jumped up onto the apron, accosting referee Earl Hebnar, as well, holding him by his shirt, keeping him distracted, while Triple H went to the far side of the ring to retrieve the ring bell, the fans in unison booing inside the arena, knowing what Triple H was about to do with the foreign object.

Picking up the bell, just as Rocky made it back to his feet, his right arm all but crushed, Triple H swung wildly right at the Rock's head, but the Rock, have the instinct of a warrior, ducked the onslaught entirely, and fought Triple H back with south paw shots, to the point where Triple H dropped the ring bell, and also bumped into referee Hebnar from behind, who inadvertently knocked Chyna off the ring ropes, as well, sending her to the floor on the outside.

With the referee a little dizzy from his run in with Chyna, the Rock seized the opportunity, and with both hands, his arm throbbing in unimaginable pain, the Rock picked up the ring bell and clean Triple H's clock, knocking him nearly unconscious down onto the mat! The fans, going wild now, clearly smelling what the Rock was cooking, all jumped up simultaneously, as the Rock, in position now, kicked Hemsley's limp arm to the side of his body, slid down his elbow paid, threw his arms sideways, ran to both ropes, and dropped an elbow, with his bad arm, straight into the heart of Hemsley with a People's Elbow!

In pain himself however, having to sacrifice his own body to put away Hemsley, Rocky slowly covered Triple H, and as the ref began counting three, in ran Chyna, who, with both forearms, came crashing down onto the Rock's back, the ref signaling for the bell. Chyna's interference had cost Triple H the match, but that didn't matter now. All she wanted to do now was to cause even more damage to the "Great One".

Kicking Rocky in the back of the shoulder blade with her high heeled boots, the Rock, on his knees, attempting to protect himself from Chyna's onslaught, got his hand up just in time, as Chyna's shot with a closed fist to Rocky's face was blocked. The Rock, holding Chyna's hand, not letting her go, incensed that she had interfered in the match and was now assaulting him, with Chyna shaking her head "no" violently, completely laid out the "9th Wonder of the World" with a shot of his own!

As Chyna held her face in pain, the Rock began stalking her. He wanted to give Chyna a Rock Bottom for all the trouble she had cost him over the past few weeks, and just as Rocky thought he had Chyna set up exactly where he wanted her to be, from behind, Triple H, ring bell in hand, just as the Rock had done him, hit Rocky squarely in the back of the head, laying "the People's Champ" out cold!

Pulling Chyna to her feet, Triple H, and Chyna, holding her sore jaw, began stomping away at a helpless and defenseless Rocky. They were trying to maim "the People's Champion". Finally, Mankind, who had had his own issues with Triple H and Chyna throughout the years, still armed with a 2x4, ran down to the ring in an attempt to save Rocky. Sliding into the ring swiftly, Mankind was ready to do battle with his piece of hard wood, but Triple H and Chyna scattered quickly, leaving the Rock hurt and hurt badly back inside the ring.

After returning from another commercial break, the fans in the arena watched on the Titantron as Commissioner Shawn Michaels, walked into the arena, looking as flashy as ever. Michael Cole then stopped HBK as he was entering the Mark of the Quads arena for an interview, with Cole quickly filling Michaels in on the night's most important events, mainly the attack on the Rock from Hemsley and Chyna just moments prior, and also the two being seen leaving the dressing room of the Undertaker.

HBK then justly apologized for his tardiness, but explained that the reason why he was so late to the arena was because Linda McMahon had called him with urgency earlier in the afternoon. While he was initially going to be home for tonight's Raw back in San Antonio, he promised to hop on the fastest plane to Moline, in order to bestow order over the World Wrestling Federation. And with the news of Triple H, Chyna, and the Undertaker allegedly conspiring with each other, Shawn announced that for tonight's main event between Taker and Austin, he would be the special guest referee, which pleased the crowd in Moline to no end!

After a very intense bar fight for the Hardcore Championship, and beating Droz down with a statue from the bar, with Al Snow retaining his title, it was finally time for the main event: the Undertaker vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin.

As HBK, clad in only a t-shirt that promoted his wrestling school, a pair of tight biker shorts, and a pair of boots sauntered down to the ring, the atmosphere in the Mark of the Quads was electric. People could feel the intensity of what was to be one of the biggest fights of the year, for the richest prize in the business.

As the lights dimmed in the arena, and demonic chanting filled the arena, the World Wrestling Federation Champion, the Undertaker, made his way down to the ring first, no Paul Bearer, no Ministry, just he and he alone. Wearing the Smoking Skull Belt firmly around his waist, Taker, as pissed off as ever, wanted to make short work out of Austin, but even he knew that that would be easier said than done.

And now Linda McMahon, who wasn't even in the building, and Shawn Michaels, were attempting to conspire to take his title away from him again, by making Michaels, who Taker thought he had permanently put on the shelf after the Royal Rumble the year prior, now wanted to be the special guest referee, after Linda had already failed in her attempt? It was a conspiracy to Taker, but he was a man who had overcome all sorts of odds throughout his career. And tonight, whether by hook or crook, he would be leaving Moline as the World Wrestling Federation Champion.

Entering the ring after his signature rolling of the eyes, Taker stared down HBK, who looked like he wanted nothing to do with the Phenom at all, especially after the transformation he had undergone. Taker was especially now in a foul, foul mood, and he'd just as end Austin's career tonight just as he had done Michaels before he left Illinois title barren.

And when the glass shattered, thousands of screaming fans jumped to their feet, as Stone Cold Steve Austin, piss and fire walking, not even waiting to get inside the ring, discarded of his black leather vest on the ramp way and ran into the ring, where an awaiting Taker, like a man possessed, anxiously anticipated the arrival of his foe, as well. Austin struck first, however, slipping out of the ring, and grabbing Taker about the legs, tripping him, then violently ramming his legs into the steel ring posts, not once, but twice. He wasn't finished there, either. Austin, grabbing Taker by both ankles, then pulled him groin first into the same steel post! If Austin kept doing that, JR quipped on commentary, there would be no Little Taker's in the near future.

While Shawn attempted to stay out of the way as much as possible, Austin began opening a personal can of whoop ass for the Phenom, striking him with heavy fists. Taker soon got in some offense, however, with a rake of the eyes, then clubbing Austin in the back of the head with tree-like forearms. Sending Austin into the ropes, about to perform his patented high flying clothesline, Austin countered with a Lou Thesz Press, then running himself into the ring ropes, driving an elbow right into Taker's face.

Quickly getting into position, Shawn only managed to get a two-count, as Taker kicked out.

Clotheslining him out of the ring, however, landing on his feet, Taker honestly didn't know what was hitting him Austin was coming so fast. Even as he attempted to counter Austin's attack, by dragging Austin out of the ring by his legs, Austin, with pent up rage and frustration walled up inside of him, blocked Taker's offensive move, by offering another right hand right to the side of Taker's face, before driving his head straight into the announcer's table, and then onto the steel ring steps for good measure!

Austin then, without thinking, picked up a steel chair, and was about to bash Taker's brains in, but Taker kicked Austin squarely in the gut with the toe of his boot, saving his cranium from meeting the violently swung steel. Austin, however, went right back on the offensive, giving Taker a piece of his own medicine, with more than a few kicks to the stomach, as well. Austin then attempted to iledrive Taker onto the padded floor on the outside, but Taker countered with a huge back body drop, once again prolonging what could have been the end of his title run.

Striking Austin in the face several times, then throwing him back into the ring, Taker began choking the life out of Austin, while the crowd in Moline, solely behind the Rattlesnake, chanted "Austin, Austin, Austin" wildly, wanting their hero to once again regain control over the match.

And just like earlier in the night, the crowd quickly got to their feet, all looking up the aisle way, with heavy jeers following, because both Triple H and Chyna were making their way down to ringside. And that's when JR, began putting two and two together. Obviously with the Ministry being banned from ringside, Triple H and Taker had obviously made some sort of deal, probably hatched in the bowels of hell, together.

Triple H and Chyna being seen coming out of Taker's locker room, the Rock not being able to wrestle with his cast for a legitimate broken arm, and now both Chyna and Triple H coming down to ringside during Taker's match with Austin, everything had come together clearly.

With Shawn warning Taker of his blatant choking, admonishing him with a five count, Austin was able to get his breath back some. Taker, throwing Austin into the ropes again, while Chyna and Triple H dispersed separately around the ring, lowered his head to take Austin up and over. Instead, Austin kicked Taker square in the face, but instead of feeling pain, Taker felt of gush of adrenaline, snapping his head back up quickly, before Austin knocked him back down to the mat with a clothesline, quickly covering the champion, but only getting a near fall yet again.

Austin then again knocked Taker back down, and once more got a two count, before Austin whipped Taker into the ropes, but all he received was a big boot to the face, sending Austin on Dream Street. Taker too attempted a pin fall, but came up short just as Austin had, which made Taker upset even more, feeling Michaels had given him a slow count.

Rolling to the far side of the ring, Taker caught Austin around the ring apron, and delivered a bionic elbow straight to the forehead of Austin. But Austin had a trick up his sleeve, as well, raking the eyes of Taker. Shawn, who was then arguing with Triple H on the outside, warning him of his distance to the match, caught Chyna out of the corner of his eye push Austin hip first into the steel ring steps, sending Austin in a bad way, who was writhing in pain near the guardrail.

HBK, having already seen enough, then ejected Chyna from ring side, grabbing her about the arm and leading her back up the ramp, much to the delight of the fans, with Triple H in tow, attempting to reason why their former comrade, while Taker, taking advantage of the distraction near the stage, grabbed a camera cable cord and began choking Austin yet again! Triple H and Chyna were providing the perfect distraction to Taker's shortcuts, and HBK didn't even realize it!

With Chyna now ejected, Shawn walked back down the ramp, to where Austin and Taker had brawled to. Despite all of his best efforts, Austin would not be put down by the Phenom. Setting him up for a suplex, Taker, using his great leg strength, blocked the move, and instead reversed it, making Austin land back first onto the steel ramp way, agitating the sore hip of Austin even further.

Striking Austin in the kidneys with his huge forearms, Taker launched Austin back into the ring, but Austin, who would not give up, attempted to lift Taker above his head once both men were back vertical, but Taker sandbagged Austin, landing directly onto him, pinning him, but yet again, only a near fall prevailed. Taker, almost in a fit of rage, looked up at Shawn, but Shawn wisely got out of the way, with Austin delivering another clean blow to the face of the Phenom.

Striking Taker with everything he had, knocking him onto the middle ring rope, Austin launched himself into the Taker's body, attempting to a double leg guillotine, but Taker felt the move coming, neither man able to one up each other permanently.

With Austin down, and the fans loudly chanting his name, Taker reached to his feet first, and signaled that the end was near. It was an omen: he wanted a Tombstone for the Rattlesnake.

Swinging Austin into the ropes, Austin ducked underneath Taker's pick up attack, and as Taker spun around wildly, Taker walked right into a huge Stunner, dropping him immediately! Austin, a three-count away from the WWF Title, had HBK distracted by Triple H, who climbed onto the ring ropes, refusing to allow Michaels to count the pin. With Taker covered, but with no referee to count, Austin moved Shawn out of the way violently, rearing back with all of his might, and delivering a huge right to Hemsley, sending him flying all the back to the guardrail!

The Rattlesnake was incensed, he had the WWF Title won!

Setting up for yet another Stunner, while Taker, hell bent himself on retaining his title, was stirring slowly to his feet, Austin waving him up from the mat impatiently, as Taker neared his feet, and Austin pulling on the waistband of Taker's tights, HBK violently turned Austin around as well, and with one swift motion, nearly kicked Austin's head off with Sweet Chin Music!

"What the hell? Shawn Michaels just super kicked Austin!" JR spit with venom on commentary. Even the crowd in the arena, who were in a frenzy to see Austin retain the title, could not believe what they had just witnessed!

"What!?" even cried King, who despite being solely behind Taker during the match, was in shock over this latest turn of events.

"My God, my God! What have we just seen!? What is this?" JR demanded. "Shawn Michaels just super kicked Austin, when Austin had the WWF Title won!"

And with that, Michaels spat in the direction of the fallen Austin, while Taker, who had collapsed in the far side of the ring's bottom turnbuckle, looked on confusingly, just as equally as astonished as everyone else in the building.

"I'm in shock," King added. "I can't believe this!"

Waisting no further time to take capitalize off the opportunity, Taker, almost with a lifeless Austin, swooped him up one final time, and delivered a final Tombstone Piledriver to the Rattlesnake, with HBK counting the pin, and the Undertaker successfully retaining the title!

Falling back into the bottom turnbuckle position, Shawn, with the crowd in Moline ready to near riot at the atrocity he had just committed, reached out and grabbed the Smoking Skull Belt from the ring announcer, handing it back to Taker, who cradled it like a child almost, looking up at Shawn with identical amazement. He never asked HBK for his help, he never HBK's help. A deal was struck between he and Triple H only, so why did Shawn help him to retain the title?

As Shawn got out of the ring, stone faced, cold to what he had just done, Triple H, holding his jaw after the swift right he received from Austin, slowly pulled himself up from behind Shawn, smiling at the sight Austin down in the middle of the ring, defeated. Even Chyna had come back down to ringside to rejoin the duo, and as Raw went off the air, with Taker slowly backing up the ramp, and Austin still laid out in the middle of the ring, only one questioned remained: why had Shawn Michaels double crossed Austin?


	70. The Human Heist

Under normal circumstances, Stephanie was kept out of the loop about the WWF product as much as possible, but since Mark had allowed her to come to the arena willingly, along with the fact that Stephanie now knew about the circumstances surrounding Mark, Vince, and Shane, there was no longer a need to monitor Stephanie's viewing habits when she came to the shows.

So when Stephanie and Saphirra both witnessed Shawn Michaels' turn on the Rattlesnake, they were just as shocked as everyone else was. No one saw that coming.

Stephanie knew that when Triple H called Mark's cell phone before Over the Edge, that nothing good could come out of it, and for Austin, indeed it hadn't. However, the possibility of Mark and Shawn Michaels somehow forging some sort of collusion together didn't exactly feel quite right to her.

For one, Mark and Shawn were _not_ friends. True, they respected each other as professional athletes and as men, but to Mark, Shawn Michaels was a whiny little spoiled brat, who cried and took his ball home when he didn't get his way. He wasn't a fan of Shawn "losing his smile" back in 97, and he especially didn't earn any cool points with Mark heading into WrestleMania 14 the previous year, either.

Leading up Mania 14, Shawn was allegedly refusing to partake in the match. He was cited as telling various individuals that he wasn't even going to show up to the FleetCenter in Boston, and that if he did, he was going to intentionally get counted out in the middle of the match, in which he would retain the WWF Title by disqualification.

Mark, on the other hand, was the person who ultimately made sure that Michaels went through with the match as scheduled. If Shawn won by pin fall or submission, that was fine; and if he lost, that wouldn't have hurt Taker at all, either.

All he wanted to do was make sure that Michaels did business and did business the right way. So as the match played out in the ring, Taker, silently sitting in the Gorilla Position, with his fists taped, watched on a monitor while Austin and Michaels did battle, despite the fact that Taker himself had already gone through a war earlier in the night with his brother. And when the match was over, and Austin was declared the victor and the new World Wrestling Federation Champion, Taker untaped his fists and went about his business.

So no, Mark was no fan of Shawn Michaels. But even so, could he really conspire with HBK just in order to screw Austin? Stephanie highly doubted it, but being that this was professional wrestling, where backstabbing and politics were an everyday substance, anything was possible, especially since she knew how desperate Mark was to return to Houston as the champion.

Turning their heads to a pounding that came quickly at the door, Saphirra and Stephanie were still in such a shock about what had just happened that they had failed to truly realize that not only was match over, but the Raw as whole, as well. But like the War Zone lyrics went, they had another show to go, and that show was starting right now.

And whomever was banging heavily at the door, seemed to be in a rush, in a hurry. As if they were looking for something … or someone.

Quietly, Saphirra rushed Stephanie behind the door, preparing to open it, Stephanie's stomach was once again tied into belted knots. It was finally showtime. Now or never.

Making absolute certain that Stephanie could not be seen from behind the entrance, with the knocks coming more rapidly now, Saphirra, yanking the door open as hard as she could, that had she flung even only a centimeter more, Stephanie would have been nursing a broken nose tonight, screamed out WHAT?!", the angered look on the deranged woman's face enough for the uniformed officer, and several others behind him to take a step back.

From down the hallway, Saphirra could see that several WWF superstars, including Steve Blackman and the Godfather, along with three of Godfather's "ladies of the night", all began looking in the direction of Taker's dressing room, attempting to find out why at least ten law enforcement officers had descended upon his locker room.

Looking around for a moment, obviously taken aback by Saphirra and her all black attire, the officer, who was honestly quite tall, dark, and handsome, spoke up first.

Clearing his throat, he said, "Excuse me, ma'am …"

"Saphirra," she corrected immediately, more than pissed off by the barrage of knocks she had received upon her master's door. For a moment, she honestly thought that these people were going to kick the door down all together.

"My apologies, _Saphirra_," the officer noted. "We need to search this dressing room, ma'am. Is this your dressing room?"

Sucking on her teeth, then rolling her eyes, clearly annoyed, Saphirra pointed her long finger, with a pointed black fingernail, at the dressing room's door, where a symbol was hanging. It didn't say anyone's name specifically, but the officer took this as a sign that it clearly wasn't.

"I see. Well … _Saphirra_ … we still need to secure this dressing room, ma'am."

"Oh, do you now?" Saphirra asked, sizing the officer up.

Even though he himself stood over a little more than six feet tall, something about seeing this woman unnerved him. He didn't find himself being intimidated too often, especially not by a woman, but Saphirra just looked … off to him. Her appearance just didn't sit well with him at all.

Gulping, the officer then added, "Yes, ma'am. For quality control."

Looking down at the ground for a moment, laughing darkly, then slowly meeting his eyes again, Saphirra asked, "Quality control, eh? Tell me," and then, reaching out with her long fingers, lightly lifting the officers badge, eyeing it, then quickly realizing that the ten people she estimated in front of Taker's dressing room were not real police officers, but only arena security instead, Saphirra added, "Tell me, _officer_, what kind of 'quality control' does this concern? I'm sure that I can more than help you with what you need to know."

This was exactly how Stephanie imagined all of this was going to play out, sans her being hidden behind a door. She knew that her mother would call the proper authorities to escort her out of the building and back home to Greenwich, but all of this was supposed to have happened _during_ Taker and Austin's match, not after. Mark was surely making his way back to his locker room now, so not only were they pressed for time, but they had execute this plan perfectly, otherwise the entire Ministry would be in jeopardy of punishment.

_"Come on, Ryan. We've got to move!"_

Another "officer", a blonde, husky female this time, with a deep voice, knowing her partner was more than a little rattled by Saphirra, chimed in, "Ma'am, we're looking for one Stephanie McMahon, and we were informed that we could find her in this dressing room. Now please, if you do not mind …" the female officer said, extending her arm in the direction of the locker room.

Smiling outwardly now, licking her teeth, Saphirra then said, stepping aside, holding the door open, "Well, certainly _officers_. Be my guest. Mi locker room es su locker room."

And almost instantly, all ten arena security agents began searching the dressing room, but headed straight for the shower stalls. It was as if they knew their target location and went exactly for it. Unfortunately for them, they failed to look behind he door …

… And that's when Saphirra made her move.

Quickly grabbing Stephanie by the wrist from behind the door, Saphirra made a beeline down the hallway, with superstars on both sides of the thighs space scattering at the sight of the crazed woman almost dragging a frightened Stephanie McMahon, both of them running down the hall at full speed!

"Hey! They're getting away!" both ladies heard another officer yell. Turning her head to see the commotion behind her, Stephanie saw an army of people in uniforms giving the two ladies chase, one of them even inadvertently knocking down one of Godfather's hoes, the young woman falling flat on her back, with Stephanie having a birds eye view of her nether regions.

_"She wasn't wearing any panties! Ew, ew, ew!"_

Turning her attention back in the direction she was running, Saphirra screamed at the top of her lungs, "Move! Move! Get out of my fucking way!", with swarms of people hitting the deck, attempting to make way for the two down the narrow corridor, the officers still hot on their tails.

And Saphirra sacrificed no one in her quest in order to get out of the arena. She knocked down Terri Runnels, she made referee Mikke Chioda jump onto a table just to get out of the way of the herd of people who were stampeding his way, even Michael Hayes, who was still somewhat the shade of red, after becoming a victim of a Blood Bath earlier in the night, was not immune to having Saphirra literally knock him down on his butt, just in order to make it to safety.

"Goddamn it!" Stephanie heard Hayes scream, barely making it out of the way of the ten officers who were still in hot pursuit of she and Saphirra.

Thinking on her feet, both she and Stephanie quickly tiring, the officers clearly catching up to them, Saphirra began thinking like her master, taking on his mannerisms. What would the Undertaker do if presented with this type of situation?

Channeling her inner athlete, Saphirra, gripping Stephanie's wrist a bit harder, swung and pushed Stephanie to continue running in front of her, while she began knocking down tables, chairs, and anything else she could find in order to place some distance between she and the officers. And it worked. The officers began jumping over, and even falling, over the various items Saphirra threw in their way.

One poor agent, however, who couldn't dodge one of the folded steel chairs Saphirra knocked down, stumbled and slid on the chair for a good two feet, as if he were surfing on land, before crashing and burning into a stack of steel pipes that had been tucked away in a corner, with the rest of the now rolling pipes tripping and taking out at least four other officers. They were falling like flies!

The one blonde female, agent, however, was not so quick to lose her balance or her footing. She tackled everything that Saphirra threw in her direction, and when Saphirra looked back, was the only agent still standing … or in this case running.

Knowing that this woman was clearly as possessed as she was, Saphirra, spotting a ladder, which had been placed throughout the backstage area for some inexplicable reason, pushed Stephanie with her hand as hard as she could, pressing her to continue her mad dash, while she momentarily stopped and tipped the ladder from its upright position, which stood at least 12 feet tall, over against the adjacent wall.

Either this woman would trip and fall or she would prove to be Superwoman in the flesh by jump over the ladder, or possibly even sliding underneath it. Saphirra was hoping the latter two scenarios did not happen, because if they did, she and Stephanie were screwed!

With the female agent still running at full force, Saphirra, paralyzed at the moment, watched as the woman screamed, because just as she imagined, the female officer attempted to jump over the fallen ladder, but instead of actually making the jump, her foot slipped between one of the ladder's foot hole's, causing her to do a somersault in the air, landing flat on her back in the middle of the hall!

This woman, however, was no ordinary woman. Because even though she had been knocked off her feet in the worst possible way, she still attempted to get up, which shocked Saphirra to no end. However, with the agent attempting to pull herself up, she finally gave in to the pain, and dropped her head against the floor.

"Ha!" Saphirra screamed in near victory. Beginning to run behind Stephanie still, the garage only a few feet away, Saphirra, eyeing the exit sign as her golden ticket out of Moline, from out of nowhere, in street clothes, Kenny, wearing a plain white t-shirt and gray jogging pants, jumped in front of Saphirra's way, blocking the exit, while Stephanie stood behind him.

"Enough!" Kenny screamed. He could not believe that his sister, his only sister, had not only done the things that she had done to him over the past few weeks, but was now also involved in some sort of heist involving another person! She had to be stopped.

"Enough! This is far as you go, Ryan. Steph, get out of here," Kenny ordered, not taking his eyes off his baby sister, who honestly looked as if she had seen a ghost. This was not part of the plan.

Stephanie, knowing she couldn't truly get out of the arena without Saphirra, looked back at her with not only fright, but also with urgency.

_"This can't end this way!"_

Stephanie, knowing her time was limited, but not wanting to leave Saphirra behind, opened the exit door, and just as she did, she saw Kenny grab his sister about the upper arm and say, "Now, you! You're coming with …"

And suddenly, Kenny grabbed his groin in agony, crippling over onto the floor in unimaginable pain, because Saphirra, with one swift and fluid motion, kicked her brother square in the testicles! Seeing Kenny kick on the floor in pain, Stephanie, her eyes filled with shock, had Saphirra push her out the door, while Kenny continued to wiggle around in unbearable discomfort, inflicted by his own sister no less!

In the garage, out of breath, gassed, Stephanie saw a black car, with Christian standing right beside it, apparently waiting for she and Saphirra.

_"This is it!" _Stephanie thought to herself. _"We're here! We're going to make it!"_

However, Stephanie's dreams of Houston, a life with Mark, and a child, quickly began to seep away from her, because from another far exit, out came even more arena security, followed immediately by Pat Patterson, Jerry Briscoe, and her mother, Linda. And they were coming from the same direction that the car was parked in! That's when Stephanie and Saphirra, both tired beyond imagination, realized that would never leave the arena for Houston now. There was just too many of them!

Suddenly, out the corner of eye, Stephanie saw the rest of the Ministry, Bradshaw, Farooq, Gangrel, Edge, Mideon, and Viscera running into the garage, as well, attempting to court off the security as much as possible, even though they too were clearly outnumbered.

And with the door that they just exited from opening again, things got even more intense, because X-Pac and Kane, who had clearly heard about all the commotion that was being caused backstage, looked into the frightened eyes of Stephanie, who was being held back by Saphirra, and immediately took her earlier version of events to be the truth.

_"Oh, no. Not this. Not now!"_

"Let her go, you sick freak," X-Pac warned Saphirra, who was breathing heavily, however clearly not intimidated by the youngster.

"Oh, yeah?" Saphirra taunted, holding her arms out in front of Stephanie, as to make it appear that she didn't want her to get away. "Why don't you make me then?"

As both X-Pac and Kane both descended upon the pair, Saphirra backing she and Stephanie away slowly, from the side, the Acolytes began attacking both Kane and X-Pac, with the rest of the Ministry pushing and shoving at the rest of the security. It was pandemonium and mayhem all around Stephanie and Saphirra!

As much as Stephanie wanted to clear the air between the two, she didn't imagine that X-Pac and Kane would actually insert themselves into this situation tonight. She didn't want them getting hurt by something she planned again. But it seemed too late for all of that now.

That's when Saphirra began pulling at Stephanie's now sore wrist again, rushing her to the car, yelling for Christian to open the rear passenger door, Christian moving with swiftness, flinging the door open with absolutely fluidity, then running to the driver side himself, ready to speed out of the Mark of the Quads.

Pushing Stephanie head first into the car, about to jump straight in herself, Saphirra had the car door yanked from her body, just as she was about to close it, by none other than Linda McMahon, giving Sapirra a look that only a mother could give.

But before Linda could even come around the door to fully face the woman, Saphirra, reaching inside her blouse, pulled out what appeared to be a canister of mace, stopping Linda dead in her tracks! Linda had already been tripped from behind by this demented creature, and she didn't want to risk her chances of being pepper sprayed either, but dammit, she had her daughter!

That's when both Pat and Jerry ran up behind Linda, and Saphirra quickly turned the contents of the container in their direction, as well, causing both men to stop rather abruptly.

Stephanie's heartstrings were really being pulled on now, her conscience giving her a beating. Would she really subject her mother, godfather, and a man who could double as a second godfather, to being maced? She couldn't. Even though they had already nearly accomplished their goal, hurting the people she loved the most was not worth it, but in the end, someone would still be hurt, because Stephanie now realized that she had to tell the truth.

Opening her mouth, about to call this whole thing off, Saphirra began speaking before she could.

"Now," Saphirra said, breathing heavily, clearly unstable, ready to empty the spice container if she had to. She was just about to make her grand getaway, but she had been stopped short. She didn't like that.

"Now you three old farts, say goodbye to Stephy. Say goodbye, goodbye little Stephy. Goodbye, goodbye," Saphirra mocked with the voice of a child, while pushing, shoving, and fighting continued all around them.

"Any one of you three even think about taking a step further, I'll blind you for the rest of your life. Think wisely."

And with that, Saphirra began fidgeting with the lock on the back door, Christian now in position to take off at any moment, Stephanie looking past Saphirra helplessly, meeting the hurt filled eyes of her mother. She just didn't envision all of this would transpiring the way that it had.

With Pat placing his hand on Linda's shoulders, giving them space from the disturbed woman, attempting to convince Linda to back away as well, Saphirra, smiling from ear to ear, completely unhinged, placed one foot in the car, and before slamming the door the shut, said emphatically, "Toodles".

Once safely inside, with someone on the outside yanking at the now locked passenger door, Saphirra yelled, "Go, go, go!" to Christian, who placed his foot on the accelerator, speeding out of the arena for good, while Pat, who attempted to give the car a short foot chase, threw his suit jacket on the ground once he realized that he would never catch the speeding away car, clearly frustrated at what had just occurred, while Linda had to be consoled by Pat, at the stark realization that her daughter had once again been abducted by the Ministry.

Sitting back in the seat, Stephanie looked back at the vanishing arena, with Saphirra, who was exhausted, to the point where beads of sweat now resided at the top of her forehead and nose, sitting right beside her, attempting to regain her breath. With her chest flying up and down rapidly, Saphirra was, once again, the first person to break the deathly silence that had formed between them.

"Well … That was fun," she heaved. "Let's have another go."

* * *

><p>It was now after two in the morning, and Stephanie still hadn't heard anything from Mark, despite the fact that she called his cell phone at least half a dozen times. She didn't dare to call back to the arena, and all the rest of the Ministry, albeit sore from their encounter with the security agents, had all checked in with her, as well. Even Saphirra had already retired to her own hotel room, so what could be keeping him?<p>

Stephanie was beyond concerned now. She tried to convince herself that Mark wasn't answering her phone calls because he was still being bombarded with phone calls from the press, but that didn't sit quite right with her. So not only did Stephanie have to stage her own abduction tonight, at the expense of her poor mother, but now she had a missing husband.

_"What else can go wrong tonight?"_

Stephanie replayed the night's events back into her head.

Mark was still the WWF Champion, off a Shawn Michaels' interference, she had successfully made sure that she and Mark would return to Texas together, and she was now back in the good graces, or at least that's how it appeared to be, of both Kane and X-Pac. Had she anticipated for them to insert themselves into the human heist tonight? Absolutely not, but they did, and to her, that meant that the two felt as if they could trust her again. So her night was a success, but with her husband missing, it didn't feel much like a success at all. Far from it.

_"God. Where can he be?"_

What if Mark was in jail? What if Linda truly had called the cops and had him arrested, knowing Mark had something to do with Stephanie's most recent abduction? Would he have to call that most horrid attorney of his, Angel, in order to bail him out? What sort of repercussions would he face from the company's board of directors after a major shareholder was arrested? With all the bad publicity the company was receiving after Owen's fall, how would the press spin this situation? Would fans begin to tune out of their product in favor of their competitors?

_"Maybe my brilliant plan wasn't so brilliant after all."_

Stephanie, looking out the window of the bedroom, and out at the Downtown Moline skyline, got her answer to her husband's whereabouts when she heard the indistinguishable voice of Paul Bearer coming through the door.

"… And then he reared back and just up and hit you! I tell you. Some son of mine."

_"Hit? Hit who?"_

Wobbling through the door, Stephanie met Paul, who was in street clothes now, walking into the suite first, followed by Mark, who, like Saphirra earlier, was dressed in all black. But he didn't look too thrilled either, especially since he successfully retained his title earlier in the night. In fact, something about his face looked rather … odd. As if his jaw was swollen.

And instead of greeting her or acknowledging her existence, Mark walked right past Stephanie, as if he didn't even see her there, dropping his bag by the door, then sitting in one of the comfortable chairs in the living room. Yes, something was definitely wrong.

As Paul walked back into the living room after filling a bag with ice from the refrigerator, Mark snatched the bag from Paul, placing it against his jaw, the move catching Paul completely off guard. And then there was silence; a very long, uncomfortable silence. And when Mark finally spoke, as Stephanie imagined he would, he didn't sound too jolly in the least.

"You mind explaining to me why I got accused of trying to have you abducted tonight … Steph?"

With her eyes nearly gouging out of the sockets, Stephanie knew that in that exact moment that she was trapped.

_"Shit. Shit. Shit"_

Paul, snapping his head in Stephanie's direction in astonishment, looking back and forth between Mark and Stephanie, nearly stuttering, mustered, "Wait. She? You? You were behind all that … Aw, hell, I'm getting out of here. I'm getting too old for this shit."

And with that, throwing his hands into the air, Paul, grabbing the bag that he had brought in also, left in huff, not wanting to see nor hear what could follow after this latest development.

Stephanie honestly didn't have anything to say she was so shocked. On one hand, she was hoping that her mother would attempt to execute the plan of getting her out of arena during Mark's match with Austin, but when that didn't happen, and Kane and X-Pac showed up, along with having the backstage area nearly torn to shreds by all the chaos that chase she and Saphirra went on, Stephanie knew that there would be no realistic way of hiding or spinning this to Mark.

She had already mentally prepared herself to take the fall for the rest of the Ministry. After all, they had only done what she had asked them to. Now her husband was sitting before her with a swollen jaw, no less, wanted answers, and waning those answers immediately.

Incensed by Stephanie's silence, Mark, throwing the ice pack against the wall, stalked his wife all the way back into the bedroom, Stephanie tripping over her own feet as she went she was so afraid. She already knew that Mark was a huge man, easily dwarfing the average person, but when he was angry like this, he just grew in size to Stephanie, morphing into someone … or something … other than Mark Calaway.

Falling over onto the bed, Stephanie threw her hands in front of her, attempting to reason with her husband, but Mark crashed down on top of her, causing her to yell out. Pinning her down by both arms, kneeing her legs open, Mark stared down at Stephanie with a look that threatened to kill he was so angry. Stephanie had orchestrated something, behind his back no less, and he aimed to find out exactly what it was that she had done.

Speaking before she was threatened to speak, Stephanie said, "Ok, ok. Please, baby, you're hurting my wrist."

And he was. Stephanie's wrist was so stiff from having Saphirra leading her through the building that she almost couldn't rotate it. And now that Mark, with all of his weight, was pinning her down to the bed, by her wrists. Stephanie feared that he would even snap both of them off completely before he allowed her to get up. Mark, however, not wanting to maim his wife … just yet, growling, slowly eased away from her, before saying, "You've got 30 seconds. Go!"

At his command, Stephanie spilled her guts, as fast as she could, informing her husband of everything. Explaining how Linda, after Owen's accident, demanded that she return to Greenwich, Stephanie staged a fake abduction with the help of the Ministry, in order to make it seem as if she was leaving with Mark by force and not choice. She failed, however, to reveal exactly how Kane and X-Pac got involved in that whole ordeal, instead, choosing to throw both men under the bus as "meddlesome".

She didn't want to, but Stephanie knew that if she told the entire truth, her ass, literally and figuratively, would be on the line, and she never wanted to feel that kind of pain ever again in life. She followed quickly by asking for her husband's forgiveness, then quickly asking how Mark managed to have his jaw swollen, hoping amongst hopes that the purple lining across the left cheek came from Austin pounding his head against those steel ring steps and not from anything … or anyone else.

"You wanna know how I got this?" Mark asked his wife furiously, who was still flat on her back in the bed, pointing at her face. Stephanie knew better than to say no, so she nodded her head slowly.

"I got this from, after taking a shower, about to bring my ass to my wife, whom I stupidly allowed to come to the arena tonight, being confronted by that punk, X-Pack, or however the fuck you say his name, and my retarded brother."

Having to calm himself, realizing that his voice was rising, Mark started again, lower this time, "I got accused of having you abducted tonight. And we both know I didn't. So when I laid X-Pac's ass out, for getting all in my face, like he runs something, the big red pussy sucker punched me. And now I find out you were behind it? That means you're in trouble, you know that don't you, Stephanie?"

Didn't she? Stephanie, knowing she was on borrowed time now, attempted to reason, explain, and endear herself more to her husband. That she did everything tonight just so could be with him, that she didn't want to go back to Greenwich, explaining how she realizing faking abduction was not the best course of action, but that she wasn't thinking straight at the time.

"Baby, please. I did this for us. I did it for … aah!"

Before Stephanie could even finish her sentence, Mark yanked her up from the bed by her sore wrist, flinging her behind him. Holding on to her with a death grip, Mark, sitting on the bed, with one strong motion, ripped Stephanie's white bath robe down to the floor, and still with her wrist in his hand, while she squirmed to get free, Mark flung Stephanie over both of his knees almost effortlessly, while she kicked and screamed, attempting to free herself.

With his forearm pressed firmly in the middle of her back, Mark then yanked Stephanie's pink lace nighty all the way off of her body, then forcefully pulled down her panties, exposing, not only her naked body, but her bare backside. Stephanie never thought that she'd receive one of these again, but here she was, thrust over Mark's knee yet again! Stephanie knew he was mad, but mad enough to give her another spanking? Wasn't this bordering domestic abuse?

Tensing her backside in anticipation for the volley of slaps she knew she was about to receive, Stephanie heard Mark warn, "Tensing up is only going to make it worse, Stephanie."

That's when Stephanie realized that she was prolonging the inevitable. She honestly didn't feel as if she had done anything overtly sinister to warrant a spanking. But she knew that she was going to receive one one way or the other, so she attempted to relax her body as much as possible, and hoped that if she held her breath throughout it all, then all of this would be over before she knew it. He wasn't using a belt like he attempted to do with Saphirra, so she tried to envision her throbbing bottom not being that big of a deal.

As she sat quietly over Mark's lap, she found that nothing was happening to her. There were no slaps, there were no sobs, Mark had even lightened his pressure of his forearm into her back. But he was looking down at her, and with that beard he had grown out, looked to be the devil incarnate. He was in deep thought, however, contemplating something, some alternative to a spanking Stephanie hoped.

_"But what could be worse than a spanking?"_

Then, without warning, Mark, without any regard whatsoever, dumped Stephanie onto the floor, who was attempting to get up, hoping her husband had changed his mind about punishing her.

"You stay …" Mark said, pointing his finger down into the face of his wife. " … Right there."

_"On my hands and knees?"_

"So you just decided, on your own, without even consulting me, that you're going to make all the decisions for the Ministry? That you were in charge? Am I hearing correctly?"

Stephanie, who was still looking at Mark's pants legs, honestly didn't know if she should look up at him, afraid that he would take that as a great offense, or continue to look down, she was so confused. She got her answer quickly, and rather painfully, when Mark, grabbing her hair by the roots again, just as he would do in the very beginning, forced her to look up at him, Stephanie yelping in pain, mouth agape.

"Look at me when I talk to you! So now, you think you run everything, huh?"

With her heart beating out of her chest, the blood gushing through her veins, her nose wide with fear even, Stephanie was afraid to say anything. She didn't have anything to say to begin with, and even she did, she was scared stiff at the moment. One wrong word and she'd be back over Mark's knee. But if she didn't say anything, he would take this as a sign of disobedience, and she'd still be over Mark's knee. This was truly a no win situation she found herself in.

"Baby, I didn't want to take your mind off the match with, Austin …"

"So now you don't think I can handle my own business … as a man?"

"No, no, that's not what I'm saying at all," Stephanie attempted to rationalize, placing her hands in front of her body. "I just … I just … Mark, baby, please. I was afraid. I wanted to stay with you. I was willing to do anything. I'm sorry."

"Is that right?" Mark asked slyly.

"Yes, please," Stephanie strained, the pain in her hair becoming all too much.

All of this reminded Stephanie of the scene, right before being abducted by the Acolytes the night after WrestleMania this year, of how Taker and the Ministry marched down to the ring, surrounding Sable, and fooling her into thinking she was about to perform some sexual favor on Mark, just in order to get to get the hell out of there. Her hopes were dashed, however, when Mark began choking the poor woman instead! Mark had shown over the years that he was not immune to placing his hands on women, but by God she was hoping that he'd let her hair go.

"You were willing to do _anything_, is that what you said?" Mark asked again, who, unbeknownst to Stephanie, from all the pain she was feeling against her skull at the moment, didn't hear the extra emphasis on the word "anything".

"Yes, baby. Please. I am sorry. Please, please let me go," Stephanie found herself begging. She knew he was mad, no doubt, especially with his jaw feeling the way that it was, but to physically take it out on her was pushing it, Stephanie felt.

Doing as his wife asked, Mark obliged, untangling his fingers from her hair, as Stephanie attempted to massage the pain away, looking up at him with regret. She really wanted to kick him in the groin now, but she obviously knew better. With Mark's temper, Stephanie would probably be hanging over the balcony by her hair if she did watch it.

Now rubbing his chin hair, Mark began to smirk, but there definitely wasn't any good behind the gesture, however. He had something on his mind, and it involved Stephanie, which more than likely meant she still wasn't out of hot water as of yet.

"You said you were willing to do _anything_, right, Stephanie?"

Stephanie now heard the stress on the word "anything", and she was definitely cautious with proceeding with saying a yes or no answer now. Saying yes or even nodding could put her in a world of trouble, but if she said no or even shook her head, she'd be in a world of hurt. She felt like a lab rat stuck inside a never ending maze of fake exits.

"I think with you, you want to be that grown woman I urge you to be," Mark said lowly, analyzing the face of his wife. Taking his thumb and rubbing it over Stephanie's lips gently, Mark continued, "You want to be a grown woman at the wrong time. I thought you would have figured out by now that everyone has a place, Stephanie. Even a McMahon. And since you don't know yours …" Mark said, groping his crotch as he spoke … "I think I'll have to put you back in it."

Before Stephanie could even truly try to make sense of what Mark was saying to her, he casually began lowering the waistband of his pants, and right before her sprung Mark's huge erection! Stephanie was shocked, but not completely ignorant or stupid, either. She knew what Mark wanted her to do, but she had never done … this … a day before in her life, and she didn't think she would have to. But she had an angry husband standing right in front of her, with his shaft at full staff, and he was just in the right position, as well.

Had this been the very beginning and Mark asked that she perform fellatio on him, Stephanie probably would have just obliged just so she could clamp down as hard as she could, but she couldn't do that now. All of the Hilton would come down with her in it!

Then she heard one word, and that was "Now." And the way Mark had said it, he definitely wasn't asking Stephanie to do anything; he was telling her. There was no urgency in his voice, but Stephanie could tell that if she didn't follow through with what Mark had ordered her to do, then there'd be hell to pay.

"But … I haven't done it," Stephanie squeaked, Mark's penis pointing directly in the middle of her face. She had never been so up close and personal with something like this ever!

Mark's answer was simple, however. "Learn."

There wasn't much time for thinking otherwise after that. Remembering the few pornos she had seen over the years where girls had performed this, Stephanie, mentally preparing herself, slowly placed the mouth on the tip of Mark's erection. And just the tip alone already had her mouth semi-full.

Gripping her hair a bit, forcing her to look up, but not enough to hurt her hair again, Mark then warned, "And you better do it right."

Stephanie was not rat. She wasn't promiscuous in the least. She honestly thought that when she confided in Samantha a few years ago about having her first kiss that she had really explored her "inner kink" as Ms. McCall tentatively called it. Unfortunately for her, however, Samantha knew the ropes of sex like the back of her hand, and getting kissed to her was like going shopping: it was an everyday thing.

But she had recalled how she, Olivia, and Elizabeth, were all floored when Samantha regaled how she and her then boyfriend, the star quarterback at Boston U., Jonathon Westwood, aka Big Johnny, managed to "get it in" in the football team's locker room one afternoon during a practice segment. Miraculously, they weren't caught by anyone, but Stephanie wholeheartedly remembered how Samantha gloated about "sucking Johnny until his eyes rolled into the back of his head."

Knowing Stephanie, however, with this being her very first time, she was not going to be anyone's Samantha McCall, but she at least wanted to attempt to do the act right. For some reason, despite being under duress, the thought of actually going through with this was ... thrilling to her.

Adjusting her mouth, Stephanie, with her tongue under the bottom of Mark's shaft, slowly glided her mouth down his penis, stopping herself midway, honestly feeling she could not take any of of him in. Moving her mouth backwards and forwards slowly, Stephanie tasted the saltiness, or "pre-cum" as Samantha called it. It didn't make her want to vomit or anything, but it was definitely different. An acquired taste, she felt.

Stephanie's head was now hurting from the force of Mark's grip, so she decided to turn her head, just a little, causing Mark's penis shift further down her throat, testing her gag reflex. Pulling back a bit, her nostrils flaring, panicking, Stephanie had her head stopped from pulling back completely by Mark's hair in her hands again, easing her mouth back down slowly onto his dick. In fact, Mark was now guiding Stephanie's head all together, with she doing her best to keep up with the pace.

Whatever she was doing, whether it was the pace she was working with, or just the sensation from dick sucking alone, or maybe a combination of both, Stephanie felt Mark widen his stance, then saw him lean his head back, his long black hair reaching even further down his back now. Feeling she was doing something right, Stephanie, placing her left hand around the inner thigh of her husband, began twisting her head slowly back and forth, while with her right, placing her right hand firmly around her husband's anatomy, moving it slowly backwards and forwards, continuing her assault with her mouth with coordinated her movements.

Massaging her scalp now, Mark, who was standing directly in front of the bed, gently lowered his body, slowly enough that Stephanie, from inexperience, didn't mistakingly graze his penis with her teeth. Stephanie wasn't proving to be a Dee Dee from a few weeks ago, but she was considerably doing better than he initially gave her credit for.

With her hand still going up and down Mark's penis with a firm, yet vigorous grip, Stephanie slowly ran her mouth back down Mark's shaft, sucking at the head of his penis exclusively, and then, in a creative moment, wrapped her tongue around it, exploring the tip of it, flicking her tongue up and down rapidly, then, exploring the hole in the middle, lapping over it. And for the first time ever during sex, or at least the first time that Stephanie could recall, Mark let out a moan. It wasn't a growl or a grunt like she was used to, he actually let out a genuine moan. That meant to her that she had to be doing something right.

Licking her tongue around the head again, Stephanie thought on her feet, and immediately let her tongue lick under and around the head of Mark's penis, while he on the other hand sounded as someone had kicked the air out of him.

_"Is he still enjoying himself?"_

Feeling much like a vixen and a hell cat, Stephanie began to slowly rise to her feet, never taking her mouth of his penis, however. In fact, as she rose, Stephanie found herself wanting to swallow deeper, wanting to go down the length longer now. She was definitely testing her boundaries, but this was such a thrill to her, a rush, and she quite honestly liked the feeling of her husband in her mouth, especially loving the fact that she could control him, so to speak, with the inner workings of her mouth. It was a glorious new discovery for her.

Continuing her onslaught, holding Mark's penis within her hand, then suddenly licking under the base of it, Mark, holding Stephanie's hair in a makeshift ponytail, suddenly lowered his entire body into the bed, bringing his wife and her mouth with him. In the bed on her knees now, Stephanie began suckling again, this time from the left side of Mark's body.

She took her tongue this time, and with one swift motion, as if she were licking an ice cream come, licked from the base of his penis, all the way back to the top. Mark had drove her so crazy over the recent weeks, whether it was physically or sexually, that Stephanie now felt compelled to drive her husband just as nuts. And with the look on her husband's face, she believed she was succeeding.

Switching positions, Stephanie, a bold move for a virgin of the mouth, then began to fondle her husband's testicles, feeling them constrict in her hand, while she bravely, and without thinking twice about it, gently slipped the surface of her teeth alongside Mark's shaft, trailing it with her tongue.

_"Use your teeth as a weapon," _Stephanie recalled Samantha saying.

Mark shot up in the bed, not from pain, but because most women he knew wouldn't dare do that to him, despite being well-versed in the art of giving head, and Stephanie, who had never done this, had.

His pain tolerance had increased with his arousal, and as Stephanie looked back up at her husband, dick in mouth, giving her husband a devilish look, knowing that he was about to cum, knowing that he wasn't quite done with Stephanie, and knowing that she had completely turned the tables on him, Mark yanked Stephanie's head back by her hair, causing a wide "O" to form.

Mark, despite not showing it, hoping his body's natural reaction didn't give himself away, was turned on by seeing the Greenwich snob in Stephanie, on her hands and knees in the bed, naked. Stephanie was just so sexy like this, looking up at him, looking like the vixen he knew she could be. But he had to ask himself: who was in charge here? For a moment, it was Stephanie, but now it was time to turn things back around.

"You little bitch," Mark growled, recounting how Stephanie was woman enough to allow her teeth to travel around his delicate skin. Pulling Stephanie up in the bed by her hair, Mark maneuvered his body until he was behind hers. With his hand still wrapped in Stephanie's hair, Mark, with his free one, began exploring the inner workings of Stephanie's nether region, spreading her legs while she was on her knees, just enough for his fingers to flick at her clique, before slowly entering her soft, wet, and delicate entrance, Stephanie moaning out instantly.

Tossing his shirt to the floor in a quick motion, Mark brought Stephanie's back to his chest, wrapping his hands around her brown locks again, and positioning her bended leg around his hip, giving him free range access into her pussy. Widely exposed from the front, while Stephanie dripped with arousal, Mark then entered not one, but two fingers, his index and his middle finger, right inside of Stephanie's hot center, while he ducked his head below her arm, suckling at her breasts, Stephanie moaning in unbridled pleasure.

Panting heavily, Stephanie found herself attempting to catch her breath in rhythmic patterns, as Mark, with force, entered in and out of Stephanie with hard, slow pumps of his fingers, catching her off guard each and every time, her pelvis muscles, despite leaning onto her husband, were now becoming strained as well, and with her husband still suckling at her breasts, still finger fucking her, and her back arched like a bow and arrow, Stephanie truly was caught in a sexual rapture. Mark even took his fingers out suddenly and slapped her pussy lips with the palms of his hand, over, and over, and over, until Stephanie's vagina felt as if it a heartbeat resided in it. Her lips were swollen from his strikes, and her body had all but betrayed her she was so damp with arousal. She felt as if her mind was about to explode.

Pushing her down onto the bed chest first, Mark swiftly lowered his pants and underwear. Wrapping Stephanie's hair around his fist several times, until the point where it felt like he was using her hair as a leash, Mark pulled back on it, causing her to scream out from the sensation. To alleviate the pain she was feeling in her head, Stephanie had to get on all fours, just the way Mark wanted her to be. Slapping both ass cheeks, hard, Stephanie crying out from the pain, then felt her kitty being slapped again. Breathing in huffs and puffs, Stephanie attempted to wriggle free from the swift pats, but found that her ass was now ponied up to her husband even more in an attempt to flee.

Then, grabbing her sore wrist, Mark twisted Stephanie's arm behind her back, holding it there, and right as she was about to cry out from that move, Mark suddenly thrust himself inside of her, burying his penis into her vagina, Stephanie found herself crying out. Pushing her head into the bed, with her ass stuck in the air, planting his knees more firmly into the bed, Mark began slow, deliberate, rigid strokes inside of her body.

Stephanie knew that with Mark's intentional and calculated thrusts, that all of this was meant for his pleasure and his pleasure only, while he was using sex as a means to punish her, but Stephanie still felt ecstasy in each and every pump Mark worked into her body.

Pulling her arm back again, Mark tightened his grip around Stephanie's hair again, causing her to whimper in the pillow her head was contorted on, which muffled most of her pants and screams. Mark was just so forceful with the siphon of his hips, and sometimes, even unintentional with his thrusts, driving into her from an inverted angle above her, five and six pumps at a time. One moment he was methodical, systematic with his thrusts, and the next, he wasn't, nearly driving Stephanie up a sexual wall.

Letting go of her arm, Stephanie, feeling instant circulation after Mark released it, felt Mark change hands in which he was holding her hair hostage. Pulling her head off the bed, forcing her to plant her hands into the bed in order to keep her balance, Stephanie felt the right side of her ass being slapped repeatedly, Mark imprinting his handprint into what would have been her pale bottom, rosiness quickly erupting from the repeated blows.

Screaming, her ass on fire, Mark yanked Stephanie's hair back again, while holding her hip in place, impaling himself into her body, over and over again, in and out, the sound of Mark's testicles slapping against Stephanie's wet and dripping pussy absolutely sending her into a frenzy.

There was no way to relax her arms, her neck was being strained by Mark's constant tugging of her hair, and every time she even attempted to lax her neck or shoulders, Mark would pull back on her hair again, and a couple times, pull her back by her shoulders, as well, forcing her to meet his thrusts, with a slaps on the ass to match. It was maddening.

Without warning, with Mark tossing her chest first down into the bed, Stephanie, exhausted, her hands spread out on either side of her, gripping the sheets, felt him lean most of his weight on top of her. Turning her head to the side so she could breath, Mark returned his hand into her hair again, thrashing his pelvis into her bottom, his warm breath, through gritted teeth, creating a tingling sensation the nape of her neck.

And when Mark felt that Stephanie was about to climax, he committed the ultimate act of betrayal, pulling himself out of her body slowly, not allowing her to come. Sexually incensed, as Mark had deserted himself from her body, Stephanie, who was on the threshold of sexual paradise, looked back at her husband as if she were about to lose her mind! It just wasn't fair what she had to endure. The crime didn't fit the punishment! Mark was intentionally being a sexual deviant, and Stephanie couldn't handle that.

Falling onto his back in the bed, bringing his wife down with him, his erection never wavering, Mark gently slid Stephanie on top of him, but instead of the usual ride he had been known to receive, he wanted to go the extra mile with his wife. Grabbing Stephanie's sore arm again and placing it behind her back, Mark, with his right hand, forced her other arm behind her back, as well. And with Stephanie's wrists being so small, it was easy for him to fit both of her wrists into his one hand. Holding her in place, even though she was on top, Mark painted his control over her body.

That's when he, with his free hand, began slapping Stephanie's left breast into his hand, volley-balling them almost, creating a rosy sensation across her chest, all the while, still pumping into her, never losing the now quickened pace he started. He remembered once when Stephanie confided in him how she wanted to get implants. He was determined to revolutionize her body in more ways like this.

Sliding his hand between their conjoined bodies, Mark began tickling her clit, continuing to thrust away into her body, while she on the hand moaned aloud, gulping for air, arching her back at the electricity spiraling all through her body, beads of sweat forming around her nose, her pussy throbbing. Her nose had turned red and her body was beginning to tighten. Mark knew this was a universal sign of her impending climax, but he wasn't ready to allow her to get there just yet.

Stopping Stephanie's body from crashing down into his for a moment, Mark was not shocked at all when Stephanie began begging for release, begging for him to allow her to cum, which incited those evil instincts of his. _He_ wanted to show her that as much as she thought she was in control and in control of others, that she never truly was. _He_ wanted to be the only master and ruler of her physical, mental, spiritual, and sexual domains. And Mark, being that he loved being in charge, especially during sex, was more than willing to show Stephanie that wasn't whom she thought she was.

After feeling her peak subsiding, Mark began pounding himself right back into her, but leaving her pussy with his hand, instead, wrapping that same hand firmly around her neck, not choking her enough to stop her from breathing, but forcing her enough to concentrate on her breathing, forcing her to look down at him, the two exchanging hard glances. Stephanie's eyes spoke of a woman who didn't have control of her own body at the moment, desperately seeking release, while Mark's spoke of a man hellbent of teaching his wife a lesson.

With a pool of sweat residing in the arch of her back, her face magnificently glowing a pale pink, Mark, thrusting himself into his wife, harder, faster, cognitive of his Stephanie's contractions, emptied himself inside of her, filling with with a warm fluid, his semi-erect penis slowly coming out of her, as he lifted his hips and removed himself from her body, while he attempted to catch his breath.

Stephanie, still somewhat new to this whole sex thing, was smart enough to know that when most men ejaculated, they went flaccid. Mark wasn't, which said to her that with a bit more stimulation, Mark could easily go another round tonight, and her ravished body just couldn't take that, especially after they had just finished.

Stephanie was also very disappointed, wanting to whimper almost. Mark had gotten himself off, but where was her payoff? Why hadn't he allowed her to cum with him? Mark had purposely kept Stephanie's body at the brink of climax, but wouldn't allow her to follow through with her own emptying pleasure. She felt as if someone was toying something in front of her face, and as soon as she was ready to capture it, they snatched it away from her. She was frustrated to no end, and with her looking down at her husband, who was staring back at her ferociously, if Stephanie's hands were free, which they weren't, she would have slapped that smug look right off of her husband's face, even if it did get her into more trouble. This wasn't fair!

Pushing her down to his chest, her hands still entrapped into his, Mark, shifting his body, turned both he and Stephanie onto their sides, her back facing his front, finally allowing her hands freedom as she went. Her arms were so heavy, the blood so constricted, that she didn't even want to move them. As she slowly began to wriggle her fingers, Mark, fooling Stephanie by gently smoothing a hand down the side of her face, suddenly grabbed her by her chin, forcing her to look at his face, delivering her a very stern warning:

"Don't ever do that again, Stephanie."

Blinking at her husband several times, then nodding quickly, realizing he meant every single word, Stephanie turned her head back slowly, laying next to her husband silently, hoping that she could get some sleep after all of this.


	71. A Ticket to Houston

When Stephanie began to open her eyes, the brightness from the morning sun greeted her. It was too bright, however.

Sitting up in the bed, completely naked, the covers slipping away from her body, yawning and looking around the room, Stephanie found her husband, only with a pair of loose fitting dark jeans on, unbuttoned at the top, with no shirt on, looking out at the Moline skyline, the curtains completely pulled open.

_"Yeah, good morning to you, too," _Stephanie thought to herself, attempting to wipe her eyes clean. Mark had obviously awaken her on purpose, and this was his way of doing so.

_"Guess he's still upset."_

Hearing rustling noises in the bed behind him, Mark slowly turned his attention to his wife, as his long dark hair fell to both sides of his face, leaving Stephanie speechless. He was a magnificent creature, no doubt about it, but as she suddenly remembered what happened the night prior, _after_ Mark arrived at the hotel, her lustfulness quickly subsided, the ache between her legs a constant reminder of just how calculated Mark could be when he was upset.

While she narrowly avoided a spanking, what she got instead was, in her estimation, worse than a burning bottom. On top of limbs being stiff from being constricted all throughout their "love making session", and her vagina having a rather pleasant/unpleasant sting to it, Stephanie was very sexually frustrated. Mark had played her body like a fiddle and she didn't like it one bit.

How was it that he was allowed to do anything that he felt necessary to her, yet she wasn't allowed to ride the waves of sexual satisfaction, as well? Stephanie didn't know if she was just crazy or delusional, but in those instances last night, and waking up this morning, feeling like she had been hit with a Mac Truck, she would have preferred a spanking, as crazy as that sounded to her, rather than having so much pent up sexual frustration lying actively awake inside of her mind, body, and spirit.

_"Oh, who are you fooling, McMahon?"_

Still, both of the scenarios she was presented with last night were equally just as bad, and she wouldn't willingly take one over the other now that she thought about it again.

_"Must have been a moment of weakness talking to me."_

As Mark slowly walked away from the window, Stephanie abruptly remembered that since the curtains were pulled back, _anyone_ from an adjacent room or across the street in the office building could look out and see her naked body sitting upright in the bed! And boy, wouldn't that make for a great story for the papers! Grabbing the fallen covers, Stephanie snuggly wrapped them around herself, turning bright pink almost instantly, ashamed of her nakedness.

Smirking, apparently finding the fact that his wife was filled with embarrassment amusing, Mark walked over to Stephanie, looking down at her starkly, while Stephanie looked back up at her husband rather uncertainly. Mark was unpredictable. He could appear to be fine one minute, and the next, not so fine. And when he was like this, Stephanie never knew what to expect.

Stephanie then noticed the cup of coffee in Mark's left hand, mentally hoping the caffeine from his cup of Joe didn't reinvigorate him enough for another round of sex. Stephanie knew that she'd probably pass out right in the middle of it, especially if she was going to be kept purposely frustrated and aggravated by the lack of release.

Placing the cup of the nightstand next to Stephanie, Mark suddenly yanked the covers away from her body, exposing her naked breasts. Shocked, Stephanie attempted to re-cover herself, but Mark, fast as a cat, grabbed them yet again, pulling them entirely from her body.

Yelping, Stephanie, feeling her face turn beat read, then attempted to shield herself by placing a pillow between she and her husband, but he snatched even that away from her, as well, sending the pillow flying across the room, grabbing her by her arm again, and pulling her from the bed to his chest.

_"Oh, my God! What if someone sees me?" _Stephanie pondered inwardly.

There were several balconies surrounding their one room. All it took was for someone to stand out on one of them, look her way, and they'd see … well … her! And the office building across the street? What if one of those high brow executives looked out of their office window and saw what she was afraid they'd see? She'd never be able to live this down!

Placing his arms around her body tightly, Mark looked down at Stephanie with amusement in his eyes, elated to see how, no matter how hard Stephanie struggled, she was not escaping his grasp. Suddenly tiring herself, Stephanie, yet still pushing at her husband's chest, began pleading for him to release her. She didn't want anyone seeing her naked except for him!

"Mark," Stephanie started, still attempting to free herself from his death grip. "People can see me! Stop it!"

Mark knew he was being a dick this morning, waking Stephanie up prematurely, and possibly even subjecting her to the watchful view of some of their temporary neighbors, but he didn't care. He was still pissed from last night and his lower jawline felt like someone attempted to rearrange his facial features entirely. He was not a happy camper this morning, and if he had anything to do with it, which he did, Stephanie wouldn't be, either.

Suddenly loosening his grip, Mark, spinning Stephanie around by her hand, almost like a ballroom dancer, brought her naked body back first to his chest, before he brought his hand down ferociously onto her backside, sending her screaming to the other side of the room. The visual of Stephanie, as she held her reddening bottom, jumping up and down, giving him a birds eye view of her breasts falling up and down, was enough to turn any man inside of out, but him especially, now wanting to jump all over her.

Mark didn't like to be too mushy, but Stephanie was absolutely gorgeous to him, and he wanted to explore her entire body all over again. What started out as a game to him quickly developed into something else. However, since he was still upset, he wanted to keep up this little game with Stephanie. He liked working her up, and this entire game he was playing with her, was honestly keeping his mind off a lot of other things that were bothering him.

Stalking her slowly, as Stephanie, still holding her ass, attempted to disappear into the wall, Mark, entrapping her with one arm outstretched against the wall and her body, slowly bent his knees, and with one motion, brought his wife's legs around his body. He knew Stephanie probably had an awful headache after all the tugging he had done to her last night, but he felt that she'd just have to take a Tylenol today, because he wasn't quite finished with her.

Knowing Stephanie's lips would travel to his neck, and as badly as he wanted them to, Mark began gripping Stephanie's hair yet again, not as hard as he held her by the hair last night, but not allowing her the ability to look down, either, as he slowly began to flick at her clitoris with his other hand, sending shivers throughout her body instantly.

This was maddening to Stephanie! All she wanted was release, and Mark was toying with her body all over again, pushing her there, but not truly allowing her to cum!

With her lower extremities already shaking with anticipation, as he continued to hold her hair in place, Mark, feeling the wetness of Stephanie's sweet center below, silently slid his fingers back into her body, filling her instantly, all the way, never taking his rolling thumb off of her clit. In and out his fingers would go, right as his thumb would continue to drive Stephanie crazy.

And as Mark suddenly realized, Stephanie was quickly learning the various tricks and rules of the sex playbook, as well, almost too quickly.

Knowing she was desperate to cum, Mark felt Stephanie's body contracting, her thighs trembling around him. But as he felt her body attempting to give into to an ultimate climax, he also felt Stephanie purposely close herself up around his fingers. She was attempting to manipulate her body into release with or without her husband's help! It was clever thing to do indeed, feeling Stephanie tighten her vagina around his fingers, and as a congratulations almost, Mark then, with the hand that was holding her up, slapped her once on her ass cheek again, forcing another yelp from her opened mouth.

This is exactly how Mark wanted Stephanie all the time. He wanted her carnal, primal almost, day in and day out. It turned him on. He loved knowing that his wife had a heightened sense of sex, how to use her body to her own advantage, or in some cases, her own disadvantage. It meant that she was shedding her shell more and more with each and every fuck.

But as Mark had been around the block more than a few times himself, he knew many counter positions to sex. In this instance, he simply slowly slid his fingers out of Stephanie's wet center, abandoning her clit.

Stephanie hadn't even been in that position on the wall for even five minutes, and already she was perspiring around her neck.

Realizing what her husband had done, Stephanie, panting profusely, was about to protest, wanting him to desperately to return to her body, but before she could, Mark, allowing Stephanie's head more freedom, pushed his wife's mouth almost near to his. But instead of filling Stephanie's mouth with his own lips and tongue, he instead filled her with something more interesting … his fingers freshly removed from her vagina!

Stephanie, with Mark's two fingers inside of her mouth, tasted the distinct flavor of her own sex! With her eyes wide, shocked that Mark was this … kinky … Stephanie found herself in a dilemma: to suck or not to suck?

Mark's fingers were in her mouth. She _herself_ was in her mouth!

Mark, however, whispered into Stephanie's ear lightly, with his warm breath tingling her neck, ordered on the spot: "suck".

Doing as she was told, although completely apprehensive, Stephanie began to suck at the fingers of her husband, laced with her own womanly secretions. She didn't know what to think, she didn't know what to feel. All she knew is that when her husband gave her orders, such as "Lick around them", she did it.

She didn't know why, other than not wanting to feel his sexual wrath again, but even as she did so, tasting her own self in such a way, she found herself growing even wetter than she was before. It was strange to her that something so wrong could make her feel so … bad. Bad as in good. Bad as in very right. She felt naughty without the sense of guilt.

Mark must have known this, as well, because as his fingers left her hair, he began to slap away at Stephanie's pussy lips again, as she continued to suck his fingers as ordered, finding it extremely hard not to bite down on his fingers, the constant slaps, only seconds after each other, one after the other, creating a greater sense of urgency for a climax within her.

All of her thoughts, feelings, and sensations were absolutely exasperating. Her hair was a mess, her entire body, from the swells of her breasts to the mounds of her ass, were moist with perspiration, her breathing uneasy. Feeling she was finally about to cum, feeling she was finally able to let go, to allow the gigantic orgasm, which had been building and building off of Mark's slaps to sweep completely over her body, Stephanie's felt her legs, without warning, return to the floor, and Mark slowly slipped his fingers out of her mouth, apparently finished with her now.

Blinking rapidly, not exactly sure what was happening, or why Mark put her down for that matter, Stephanie suddenly felt another hard, yet lighter slap on her ass again, with Mark ordering her to, "Go take a shower."

Suddenly coming back down to her infuriating reality, Stephanie, feeling as if she could reach up and attempt to do physical battle with this man, pushed Mark out of her way as if she were a heavyweight, in clear frustration about this whole ordeal, strutting around the room in a huff, completely uncaring if someone from the opened window saw her naked or not!

In her estimation, Mark had gone too far. Everything was one big game, one big mental fuck to him. If he didn't care about pleasing his wife, he didn't care about anything!

_"I should go back to Greenwich! That'll teach him!"_

Starting a warm shower and stepping in, Stephanie slammed the glass shower door as hard as she could, before placing her head against the tiled wall, fed up with her husband and his tricks to the highest degree.

Never in her twenty two years of living had Stephanie's body ever been so tense and wound up. When she felt overwhelmed and her body needed to be loosened up, she'd go to the spa, engaging in a well-deserved massage, but here and now, there was no other solution for her to choose from. She couldn't cheat on him even if she wanted to, but how much more sexual torment could she possibly take? She needed an outlet, but she wasn't receiving it.

Placing a warm, lathery towel between her tender lady parts, Stephanie suddenly stopped bathing herself, not from the pain, although it did sting a little down there, as she was having a premonition.

For the first time in her adulthood, Stephanie actually contemplated something completely new to her, something completely foreign, that in the past she had never had the courage to perform … masturbation.

Sure, she had thought about it when she was younger, after discovering sex during her teenage years, but she had never gone through with it.

She vividly recalled after a conversation with Samantha, who warned Stephanie that if she wasn't more "promiscuous" with her then boyfriend, she'd possibly end up losing him. Unfortunately, all of her attempted self-exploring and promiscuity coordinated with her nearly losing her virginity in the back of a sports car, and she never attempted masturbation again.

However, things were different now. A lot different. Stephanie was finally an adult now, meaning that she could actually go through with the act without feeling guilty about herself. And if Mark was a true tutor to mimic, all it took was a few flicks of the wrist … or fingers, and she'd no longer be twisted like a pretzel.

Slowly dropping the towel to the shower floor, Stephanie, attempting to reach for the sexual stars, suddenly felt a cold draft behind her. Turning her head to the direction of it, she found that shower door had been opened. Walking to it carefully, even trying to squeeze her legs together, hoping some magical spark would be set off from the friction down there, Stephanie was shocked when Mark, sitting on the toilet seat cover, just sat there, the implication being that he was going to have a front row seat to watching her shower!

Mouth agape, blood boiling to over 100 degrees, Stephanie, closing her eyes, feeling as if she might just blow her lid right then and there, slowly opened her eyes again to hear Mark say, "Oh, don't mind me. I'm just so in awe …" gesturing for her to continue cleaning herself. "I wanted a better view."

"Better view my ass!" Stephanie found herself screaming. Mark knew exactly what he was doing! He knew how badly Stephanie was seeking a climax, and instead of allowing her to fulfill the much needed thrill of ecstasy, in the confines of what should have been a private shower, he was literally now daring Stephanie to masturbate, the attempt alone guaranteed to get her into more trouble than she already was in!

"What'd you say about your ass?" Mark quipped comically, allowing a visible smirk to form around his lips. He knew that after waking her up so early, not allowing her to cum, and now, interfering in her self-pleasure had gotten the better of her, but he still didn't give a shit.

Mark, as calculating as ever, still felt the need to teach his wife a very valuable lesson about respect and obedience, and how the two went very much hand in hand.

Having to close her eyes again, just in order to keep herself from snapping at her husband, Stephanie, literally having to mentally count to ten, slowly walked back under the water of the shower, giving up on all chances of an orgasm today.

* * *

><p>"Oh, my apologies, Mrs. Calaway," the baggage carrier said to Stephanie, who was helping she and Mark unload their bags from their rental car at the Quad City International Airport, more so Stephanie than Mark.<p>

Mark was a man's man. He did his own repair work and he most certainly carried his own bags when walking through the airport. And in this instance, with the serviceman, Duke, having so much trouble stacking Stephanie's bags on the luggage carrier, it's a good thing he did, since all of Stephanie's Louis Vuitton monogrammed luggage came crashing down onto her feet. One more bag and Stephanie probably would have been nursing a couple of broken toes.

Closing her eyes yet again, finding herself having to count to ten once more, Stephanie found herself the most frustrated she had ever been in her entire life, and it was because of Mark. Not allowing her to climax was the ultimate sign of disrespect to her. It just wasn't fair!

Having to control her temper, Stephanie, snapping at Duke, who looked apologetic about spilling the bags over onto her feet, screamed, "Look! Just … just get them off of my feet!"

Looking up at the clear blue sky, Stephanie thought to herself in clear frustration,_ "First, I'm not allowed to climax, I couldn't masturbate, now this retard drops all of my expensive luggage? How can today get any worse?"_

After Duke managed to place all of Stephanie's luggage back onto the carrier, she and Mark walked into the airport together, granted Stephanie, dressed to the nine's in yellow short sleeve sweater shirt, an above the knee leopard print skirt, and black Steve Madden sandals, walked several paces ahead of her husband, who scolded her from behind about packing as many bags and not carrying her own luggage.

Trying to place some distance between the two of them, Stephanie, fumbling through her purse, trying to dig out her cell phone, then walked straight into another woman, the collision nearly knocking Stephanie's bag off her shoulder.

She didn't exactly know what came over her, but before she knew it, Stephanie was right in the other brunette's face, nearly screaming, "Watch where the hell you're going," before walking off, leaving the poor unsuspecting woman bolting for the nearest exit.

Mark then placed his hand over his mouth, attempting to hide his sheer glee. He knew that he was responsible for Stephanie being a ticking time bomb today, and that alone made him snicker that much harder on the inside. He liked his wife angry, he liked when she showed her aggression like this. He much preferred this new, pissed off Stephanie over the old, warm and fuzzy Stephanie.

His thoughts then travelled back to when he was initially planning the hostile takeover of the company. Mark knew that he was the master of manipulation, master of mind games, but so was Vince McMahon. He had literally turned Cactus Jack, one of the toughest son a bitches that Mark knew, into a blistering, baffling buffoon called Mankind. Vince got a kick out of being a puppet master, but so did Mark, who treated his foot soldiers like marionettes.

Mark knew that in order to get what he wanted from Vince, he had to do something that would shake the entire McMahon family to its very core, to it's very foundation, and that's where Stephanie came into play.

He remembered watching her backstage once, immediately after he realigned himself with Paul Bearer, and noted just how cheery and happy she seemed to be. To Mark, no one in the history of mankind could continuously be so smiley and joyful; everyone had their bad days. Hell, he had made a career out of bad days, but not Stephanie, and that's what intrigued him about her.

He also couldn't stand her choice of attire. She wasn't his daughter, and certainly not his woman at the time, hell, she was barely legal, however, whenever he saw he, she always seemed to dress like a lady of the Covenant. He hated those ugly button down shirts and cardigans, those hideous skirts, and always wondered why she never seemed to dress her age. And that is what ultimately persuaded him to go after her.

Mark knew that by going after the sweet, victimless Stephanie McMahon that he would, in the long run, get exactly what he wanted, and he succeeded. And now, months later, Stephanie was actually his, dressing and acting like he saw fit. It was a winning combination to say the least.

Once Duke caught up with the couple at the line to retrieve their boarding passes, he kindly asked Mark for an autograph, clearly recognizing who he was. Mark, however, went beyond the autograph, and also gave Duke a hefty $50 tip, apologizing for his wife being "cranky".

Stephanie knew that Mark was saying and doing all of this just to piss her off, and to his credit, it was working. She needed a break from this man; she needed to steel herself.

Asking Mark somewhat politely to watch her things, Stephanie walked away to the nearest women's restroom she could find, since the boarding pass line was pretty long.

Once inside the restroom, gripping the sink counter as hard as she could, holding her head down in front of the huge mirror in front of her, Stephanie felt that she would explode the moment anyone touched her. She felt like a stick of dynamite with a lit fuse nearly making contact.

She thought about going into one of the stalls and masturbating, but couldn't bring herself quite to doing it. She was a lady. Only girls like Samantha McCall had rendezvous in public spaces. Plus, she was afraid of actually going through with it. She didn't want Mark to somehow find out. She didn't even know if he was comfortable with her pleasuring herself.

_"But if you can taste yourself, then what's the problem?"_

And Stephanie didn't even know why Mark was so upset. All she had done was help the two of them get out of a sticky situation. True, while it may not have been the wisest decision to keep Mark in the dark, today, she was going back to her new home in Houston and not Greenwich. Mark should have been thanking her from her wisdom and bravery after pulling such a task off, but instead, he purposely left her without climax, and she was snapping at any and everything that moved. It was unlike her to be a bitch like this. She wasn't even this cranky when she was on her period!

As Stephanie continued to hold her head down, a tall, lean, blonde woman, who looked to about the same age as Stephanie, walked up to the sink counter as well, talking away on her cell phone, apparently to a female friend. The two were discussing the upcoming second season of _Sex and the City_ and how the blonde woman was planning to revamp her entire summer wardrobe around Carrie Bradshaw's, while the blonde attempted to convince whomever was on the other end that she was "totally a Samantha Jones".

Unfortunately for her, however, while she was washing her hands and changing ears to talk into the phone, her long golden hair slapped Stephanie across the face, Stephanie's anger rising yet again. Looking into the mirror now, Stephanie, seeing Lucifer only, slowly turned to the girl, who was still discussing fashions, tapping her lightly on the shoulder to gain her attention.

The blonde, however, didn't even to bother to look over her shoulder. Instead, she gave Stephanie the "wait a minute" finger, and continued with her conversation, namely how she dropped her ex, "Justin", because he was a "Mr. Bigg". Stephanie, however, was not in the mood to hear any of this, and kindly tapped on the blonde's shoulder yet again, attempting to gain her attention. Notedly, however, she received the same response as before.

Having seen and heard enough, her devil horns now sticking out at the top of her head, Stephanie forcefully turned the blonde around to face her, and before she could even respond, snatched her cell phone away from her, as the female voice on the other end of the call continued speaking, completely oblivious to the scene transpiring between her friend and some unnamed woman in an airport's public restroom.

"One sec, Christy," the blonde yelled into the phone, which was clutched in Stephanie's right hand, seemingly desperate to continue her conversation. "Ugh! Do you mind?" she asked rudely, attempting to yank her phone back out of Stephanie's grasp.

Stephanie, who honestly didn't give a damn about the woman or her cell phone at the moment, proceeded to reveal, "Look, I don't know if you know this or not, _hun_, but you slapped me in the face with your hair."

The blonde, yelling her girlfriend, "Give me another sec, Christy," poked her pink colored lips out, sizing Stephanie up yet again, while "Christy" continued to talk away on the other end of the call. Stephanie, refusing to be intimidated, let alone by someone who coming off just as rude as she was at the moment, placed her hand on her hip, staring back right back at the blonde.

Giving a curt laugh, the blonde said, "Look, _honey_, if you weren't in the way, maybe that wouldn't have happened. I mean, you do know what they say right? Blondes have more fun." And with that, the girl, lifting Stephanie's hair lightly, flipped it from over her shoulder, a clear move to elicit intimidation.

Looking into the ceiling, having a hard time believing that the blonde was actually trying to one up her, especially on this day, Stephanie, turning her attention back to the woman, replied, "Well, I guess what else they say is also true: blondes are dumb." And with that, Stephanie's fingers loosened around the girl's cell phone, as they both watched it fall and shatter on the floor instantly!

"Oops, look like you dropped someting," Stephanie chided, as both women looked down at the floor at the the dismantled phone, the blonde clearly in a state of shock.

"Hope you can get that fixed," and with that, Stephanie left out of the restroom, walking back over to her husband, who had only moved a few spaces in line. As Stephanie stood in the opposite direction, she watched as the blonde, sprinting from the restroom nearly knocked people over throughout the busy airport, before hurriedly hailing a taxi on the outside.

Curious as to why Stephanie was smiling the way that she was, and why the blonde looked ready to bolt from the airport faster than the first woman Stephanie hastily accosted earlier, Mark asked while keeping his attention on the line in front of him, "Got any good restroom stories to tell?"

Turning her attention back to there husband, Stephanie replied with a quick, "Not at all", before turning back around to face the back of the person immediately ahead of them. Her attention, however, was quickly diverted, when she witnessed a woman in the line next to them, nearly having a fit with the customer service agent behind the desk at check-in.

"Look, lady," the woman ordered on the other side of the check-in counter, slapping her hand down upon it hard, startling the woman in the uniform. "Just, fiddle around with your computer, or do whatever it is that you do. Ok? Just get me my ticket and we'll be fine."

Tapping into her computer more, the agent, who honestly looked frightened to death, said apologetically, "I really am sorry ma'am, but I don't see a reservation for a Sapphire Kilpatrick."

"Saphirra!" she corrected with urgency, attempting to keep her voice down as much as possible, even though it was becoming increasingly harder to do so. Saphirra wanted to get back home and get back home on time. She'd have to deal with her missing ticket purchase a little later. Her main priority now was getting back to San Diego as quickly as possible.

"Look. Ok. Ok. You win, you win, ok?" Saphirra said, holding up her hands, attempting to smile even though she wanted to raise hell.

"You clearly do not want me to leave this hell hole. You want me to stay in this shit-can you call Moline, Illinois. I didn't even fucking know there was a Moline, Illinois until a few weeks ago. Just … how much is a ticket to San Diego?" Saphirra asked rudely, rushing her words out.

Biting her lip nervously, the agent quickly scanned through her computer for a solution to Saphirra's problem. Saphirra clearly frightened the agent, similar to how she did most others upon first meeting, but at the present, the agent's intimidation was the least of her concerns.

Stephanie, however, watching the scene from the line next to her, was enthralled by Saphirra's overall appearance.

Despite the fact that she still had a very dark aura about her, today, without all the extra bells and whistles that went along with one of her outrageous gothic outfits, she actually looked … normal. Her dark hair was down, falling all about her shoulders, she wore a grey long sleeve crop top, which exposed her midriff, high waist blue jean pants, with a thick black belt, with black platform boots to match. If Stephanie didn't know whom Saphirra was initially, she would have easily mistaken her for someone else.

_"Why doesn't she dress like this more often?"_

"Um, let me see here," the agent noted. "We won't have another flight departing from this airport to San Diego until Friday, ma'am."

"Friday?" Saphirra shouted, gaining the attention of the entire airport, including Mark, who was fiddling around with his cell phone nonchalantly, looking up, slyly observing the scene from behind his usual pair of dark sunglasses.

"What about the flight that's leaving today? Just put me on that one!" Saphirra ordered.

"Ma'am, I'm afraid that I can't do that. That flight no longer lists any available seats, miss."

Trembling with anger, Saphirra looked back at the agent, who gulped with trepidation. Gripping the check-in counter with fury, Saphirra asked through gritted teeth, "So you're basically telling me that I'm stuck in this God forsaken place until FRIDAY?" she began shouting at the ending of her sentence.

Looking back at up at her husband, Stephanie realized that while Mark could clearly hear every single word that the agent and Saphirra were exchanging, he had his head turned in an opposite direction, obviously not wanting to involve himself into that particular situation.

To him, Saphirra was a big girl, and if she was woman enough to go along with Stephanie's cockamamie idea of a wild goose chase throughout the arena last night, then she was woman enough to sort out her own travel arrangements.

Stephanie, however, became more intrigued at the prospect of Saphirra possibly missing a flight out of Moline as the conversation wore on, continuing to listen intently.

"What I can do ma'am is, there are flights leaving today for Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta, miss, and from there, you'll be transported to a connector flight."

Sighing a bit of relief, Saphirra, thinking that she was going to be stuck in Moline until Friday after all, said rather calmly now, "Good. Now, the flight to Dallas, when does the connector flight to San Diego leave?

"The flight to Dallas ma'am is … about two hours in length," the agent informed, searching throughout her database. "The connector flight to San Diego will leave tomorrow."

"And what about the flight to Houston?" Saphirra asked again, a little concerned now.

"That is a little over two hour flight and the connector flight to San Diego also departs tomorrow … ma'am," the flight attendant said meekly, looking back up at Saphirra while still biting her lower lip.

"So either way you look at it, I won't get home until tomorrow?" Saphirra asked irritatingly, her voice nearly cracking from the anger that was quickly rising in her voice all over again.

"And that's at the earliest, ma'am," the agent informed hastily, shaking her head. "Imminent weather looks to delay the flight to San Diego from either of those locations by as much as five hours."

That's when Stephanie, how a small child would gain the attention of adult, began tugging on her husband's hand, forcing him to look down at her. Saphirra had helped her last night; the least she could do was attempt to help her back. She could also come in handy for other things.

"Mark, Saphirra might miss her flight out of here today," she informed.

Folding up his arm, Mark answered swiftly, "So?"

Not believing how unsympathetic he was, Stephanie then asked, "So? Look, Mark, if she takes a flight to Houston with us then …"

"I know where you're going with this Stephanie, and the answer is no."

"But, what if she doesn't have a place to go?" Stephanie rationalized. "I mean, if she flies to Dallas, she doesn't know anyone, and it may not be safe for her to … you know … be alone and stuff."

"When did you two become such good girlfriends?" Mark asked pointedly, looking down at his wife. Just a few days ago, Stephanie and Saphirra were ready to rip each other's hair out all over again. Now, they were colluding with each other, and Stephanie willingly wanted her to stay in her house? Mark obviously didn't buy the supposed sincerity.

"I mean … we're not. It's just that … you know," Stephanie attempted to answer, not wanting to blow her cover. "Can't leave her stranded here. Look at all the things she's done for you."

"That's her job," Mark noted. He didn't make Saphirra do anything she didn't already didn't want to do. He might have brought out some suppressed emotions and feelings out of her, invoking her to be her "true" self, but he wasn't forcing Saphirra to do anything, he felt. As far as he was concerned, he didn't owe Saphirra anything. In fact, with him even allowing Saphirra to be a member of the Ministry, Mark felt that she owed him!

"Mark …" Stephanie pleaded, tugging at his hand again.

While she and Saphirra still had their issues, and their arrangement was only just that, an arrangement of convenience, she honestly didn't have the heart to leave Saphirra abandoned in a city she wasn't familiar with, nor did she want to see her flying to another unknown city without the Ministry, family, or something similar.

Similarly irritated now, Mark, looking down at Stephanie, finally grumbled, agreeing to Stephanie's request. Him saying yes had absolutely nothing to do with him going on a guilt trip, because he didn't feel any guilt whatsoever. However, he did feel Stephanie made somewhat of a valid point about Saphirra being stranded or ending up alone. She was an independent woman, sure, but hearing it come from Stephanie made the cause seem all that more important.

"Yes?" Stephanie asked confusingly, not wanting to proceed without 100% confirmation.

"That's what I said. Hurry up before I change my mind."

Walking away quickly, Stephanie walked over to where Saphirra was standing, just as a man in a suit behind her, who happened to looked down at his timepiece, said, "Oh, for the love of God, lady, will you hurry it up already? Some of us do have places to be!"

Saphirra, eyes sparkling with mischief, while the agent looked on frighteningly, turned around slowly to the gentleman, and would have given him a very loud piece of her mind, but stepping in just at the knick of time, knowing that Saphirra could be just as psychotic as her master, Stephanie intervened.

"Excuse me, sir, pardon me," Stephanie said hurriedly, just as Saphirra looked as if she was about to chew the man's head off. "Is there anyway I can, if it makes your day go a little bit faster, speak to her for a moment? Please?"

"Look lady, if you can get her to buy a ticket already, then be my guest. I've to get out of here!" the man shouted.

Pulling Saphirra to the side for a moment, who still looked as if she wanted to tear the man's arm off and beat him over his head with it, Stephanie said to her quickly, "Saphirra, Mark and I overheard what the agent said, and … you know … why don't you just come to Houston with us?"

"With you?" Saphirra asked, raising her eyebrow in almost disbelief.

"Yeah," Stephanie nodded, not fully understand why Saphirra didn't seem to believe her. "You can stay with us until your flight leaves tomorrow. It's the least that I can do for … you know."

Skeptical still, Saphirra then asked, "What's the catch?"

"No catch, no foul, just a home run. Listen," Stephanie explained, leaning into Saphirra more, attempting to get her message across as quickly as possible, before more people in the line began to complain about the wait.

"You'll be stuck in either Dallas or Houston either way you look at it. Why don't you just spend the night with us, and catch your flight to San Diego tomorrow. Better than staying at some hotel and you don't know anyone."

Saphirra then began contemplating Stephanie's offer. The last time they made a deal together, Saphirra ended up being chased through the halls of the next door arena by a pack of security people. She wanted to think that their "make-up" was mutual, but she knew that as with the case of any of the McMahon's, you just couldn't be too certain. But if doing all that meant staying in the Ministry, Saphirra was willing to do anything.

Sighing, then looking back at the service counter, as the line continued to form even longer than Saphirra, heavily weighing her options finally said, "Fine, fine. I'll … I mean … does he …"

Looking back, Stephanie could see that Saphirra was eyeing Mark. Saphirra, knowing Mark just as well as the rest of the Ministry members, did not want to intrude on her master's privacy. He was introverted, and did not take kindly when people interrupted him.

"Of course, he's fine with it," Stephanie assured to a even more weary Saphirra now. "Don't worry about anything. Just buy your ticket and you can stay with us."

Biting her own lip now, once again contemplating all her options, Saphirra heard the outward groan of the man behind her, finally exclaiming, "Lady!" exasperatingly.

"Hold it, jackass!" Saphirra screamed back, startling the gentlemen enough make him throw his hands into the air, completely giving up about departing the airport on time.

"Fine. Ok. Fine."

And with that, Saphirra walked back to the service counter, speaking to the agent, but not before shooting the gentleman behind her a dirty look, completely startling him. Apparently, not only did Saphirra alarm him, but her look of psychopathy also made a baby girl, who was being cradled in her mother's arms, begin wailing uncontrollably, as well.

Stating rather calmly now, feeling very proud of her latest and twisted accomplishment, Saphirra smiling about as nice as she could possibly muster said, "I'd like one ticket to Houston, please."


	72. The Ties That Bind

After Saphirra purchased her ticket, she, Mark, and Stephanie, after walking through a rather long gate, all boarded their flight to Houston. Even though Stephanie was still upset with Mark over his latest stunt, she was happy that he approved of Saphirra staying at least one night in Houston with them.

She meant every single word, even though she had to lie initially about the Ministry possibly kicking her out, about she and Saphirra's "friendship" being on the mend, and she wanted to showcase that by allowing her to stay with them in Houston.

She admitted to herself, however, that she did have one or two selfish gains from Saphirra even coming to Houston, but since she really did have a crisis, the possibility of a positive outcome was a tempting offer she could not pass up on.

Initially, Stephanie originally planned for Saphirra to visit she and Mark by the middle of next week, but when the opportunity fell into her lap for her to come even sooner, she found herself needing to strike when the iron was hot. As she mentally told herself, it was now or never.

After going their separate ways on the plane, with Mark and Stephanie being placed in first class, and Saphirra being seated in coach, the three met up yet again after landing at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Stephanie was especially happy about being back in Houston. She'd see Zeus and April again, she had plans on buying herself a new car, since Mark's trucks and bikes were a little much for her, and finally, she could attempt to settle into her new life.

She still was chomping on a bullet of guilt about the fake abduction she staged last night in Moline, hating to have to see her mother hurt like that, but there was still a lot at stake that her mother absolutely could not find out about. Plus, she didn't want her father knowing that she was a failure, and she didn't want risk her marriage collapsing, either. And Stephanie could only imagine what Mark would do with his share of the company if she wasn't around.

And the more Stephanie thought about how much of herself she was risking for the two most important men in her world, the more she realized how similar Mark and Vince were in personality.

Stephanie knew why they didn't get along, that was the easiest fact to figure out, especially after Mark abducted her and stole the company right from under Vince's nose, but in a lot of ways, they were both very much alike.

They were both ruthless businessmen when need be, willing to sacrifice anything or anyone to obtain a means to a goal; they were both control freaks. And they both managed to surround themselves with a wall of people who were willing to do any and everything for the sake of the group, in the name of loyalty only, Mark with the Ministry, Vince with the Corporation.

In that instance, Stephanie guessed that the phrase, opposites attract, couldn't have been more true.

Stephanie then thought about all the wonderful new opportunities a life in Houston presented herself with. Mark had already introduced her to one or two of his closet associates and their wives and girlfriends. Now, she could make her own circle of friends. She'd be able to try new restaurants, new clothing stores, new everything. It was like a brand new beginning to her.

But, she also realized that she absolutely had to start her prenatal regimen today; there was just no other way around it. But much like in Greenwich, Stephanie was scared to death that someone would recognize her while in the pharmacy. Then she'd have to explain to Mark why she was having a prescription filled. And that in itself presented a whole other world of issues and problems, and she wasn't quite ready to open that can of worms.

As a couple, they two were finally attempting to right the ship that had suddenly veered off course, but Stephanie knew that with one false move, it could go down faster than the Titanic. And that's when Saphirra would come in.

The drive to Mark's ranch was a quiet one. Once again, both of their cell phones were ringing off the hook, which they both avoided like the Plague. They did, unfortunately, receive confirmation about Owen's memorial service, which would take place the following Monday in Calgary.

Mark had initially planned to fly to Canada again, to once again meet with the Hart Family, but ultimately decided against it, feeling the family needed space away from a figure involved in professional wrestling. He was, however, on call with many of Owen's siblings, including Bruce, who Mark spoke with extensively throughout the drive.

Obviously, Mark was a figure, despite all of the miserable things he had done over the past few months on television, that the Hart's respected, and that meant a lot to him, as well, despite the fact that he would never show or admit any of this. He was a modest asshole at best.

The only conversation outside of Mark speaking with Bruce throughout the entire lonesome drive to Mark's ranch was when he put Saphirra on the spot about last night's shenanigan's at the Mark of the Quads arena.

To Stephanie, Saphirra was a grade A bitch at times, but much like her, when Mark was on, interrogating her, that is, she felt a little helpless. And that's the impression that Saphirra gave off, as well, which surprised Stephanie to no end, although it really shouldn't have at that point. Mark was the true definition of intimidation and power, bar none. No one else remotely came close.

Since her transformation, along with outwardly appearing batshit crazy, Saphirra came off more as a powerful woman, which Stephanie admitted to herself was one the reasons why she felt a little intimidated by her at times, wanting to knock her down a few pegs. She presented herself as the First Lady of the Ministry, and she exuded both power and confidence, one of the very few redeemable qualities about her.

Now that she was Saphirra and Ryan no longer existed, people rarely mentioned all of her previous wanton escapades. Maybe they did behind her back in jest, but certainly not to her face. Saphirra was enough crazy for any one person to handle on their own, but involving the rest of the Ministry into the mix, especially Mark's own name brand of disturbed and demented, was enough to make any superstar think twice about before openly disrespecting her.

Mark, however, since he was just as upset with Saphirra as he was Stephanie, then asked about why she felt the need to return to her hometown of San Diego so quickly, especially after he found out about her kicking Kenny in the testicles the night prior. He even managed to make Saphirra literally squirm in her seat by looking at her through the rearview mirror, his gaze beaming hot right down upon her, which made Stephanie equally as nervous, as well.

Toying with her fingers, not daring to look up, Saphirra finally admitted that the reason why she was in such a hurry to go back home was because she was afraid of missing her other brother's, Frank, big upcoming UFC fight for charity, whom Stephanie had never heard of. She obviously knew that Ryan and Kenny were siblings, but she was completely out of the loop about Saphirra's other family members.

Stephanie, not realizing that she was putting Saphirra on the spot as much as Mark was, then asked about this brother Frank. She mentioned that he was a UFC fighter, which intrigued her, and since she knew nothing about Saphirra's early life, she wanted to know more.

Saphirra, though painstakingly so, revealed how she had at least several other "brothers", some blood related, some through adoption, and some she merely gained through life.

Ryan and Kenny were both originally from Atlanta, but their father abandoned their then family of four boys while their mother, Diane, was pregnant. After Ryan was born, her mother would support the family by waitressing at a local diner and by working at various bars at night as as a go-go dancer. Their older brother, Richie, was a heroin junkie, so to support the family, as early as ten years old, Kenny turned to robbery, which landed him in a number of juvenile detention and youth outreach centers.

After their mother remarried a Vietnam War veteran, "the first Bob", the family moved to Napa, California, when Ryan was only eight and Kenny was thirteen.

Saphirra explained how "the first Bob" was a great guy for their mom and their family, quickly becoming a member of the local fire department and coaching a Little League team after the move, but the mother became even more absentee than she was before, enthralled with her new life and place in society. And after only a few months of being in Napa, Kenny was kicked out of the family's new home for good, after getting arrested in yet another robbery.

But being that Saphirra was the closet to Kenny out of all of her four brothers, she explained how, in the middle of the night, she ran away with him, vividly recalling how the two slept in abandoned cars at night and stole from grocery stores just in order to feed themselves.

Eventually, after weeks on living on the streets together, they were both placed in a private foster home. After a few months there, Kenny was then sent to live in _Bob Shamrock's Boy's Home_, a residence for troubled teenaged boys, which was operated Bob and Dee Dee Shamrock, with Ryan having to stay behind in foster care alone.

And that's when Stephanie, looking back at Saphirra, saw a twitch of anger flash over her face. Clearly she resented the Shamrock's for not taking her in as they had done Kenny, referring to Bob and Dee Dee throughout the conversation as "Thing 1 and Thing 2" and "Cousin It and Wednesday."

_"It was an all boys home for young men who had seen and done too much so early on in life. Maybe they did the right thing by keeping Ryan out,"_ Stephanie attempted to rationalize.

Saphirra maintained that throughout her years in foster care, she and Kenny, who had gotten into mixed martial arts, were still able to remain close, with Kenny coming to visit Ryan every weekend, along with the pair speaking on the phone everyday after school, although Saphirra's phone calls were severely limited to fifteen minutes a day. Ryan would then fill Kenny in about being bullied in school, and how she hated a girl in her math class named Robin, who cut a lock of her hair out in middle school, seemingly jealous of Ryan's then naturally long blonde hair.

Kenny then introduced her to Frank Juarez, another at risk teenager who had been sent to the boy's home, whom she eventually became very close with as well, as Kenny was training Frank to be a MMA fighter just like he was. The trio, even though the boys home was located in San Diego, and the foster home was located in Los Angeles, stayed close with each other throughout their teens and then adulthood.

As Saphirra phrased it, "That's how Frank became my brother."

When Ryan was still in high school, she started dating a guy by the name of Justin, who was training to become a professional wrestler. Justin's uncle was the best friend of Danny Davis, who operated Ohio Valley Wrestling, one of the WWF's official developmental territories, with best friend, Jim Cornette. After Justin's uncle showed Danny a few of Justin's tapes, Justin, with Ryan being a last minute supplement for another female student who suddenly quit, were both invited to train at OVW.

Afterwards, the day after their high school graduation, the two, scrapping up all the spare cash that they could find, immediately purchased two Greyhound tickets and moved to Louisville where OVW was located to begin training, although Ryan was trained to be more of a valet, since she lacked any previous wrestling experience.

She explained, "I was going to be kicked out of the foster home for being too old anyway, so why the hell not?"

A few months into the training, things started to go awry for the pair. Justin and Ryan were sent from OVW to Pro Power Wrestling in Memphis, in order to bring fresh faces to the relatively small roster there compared to the broad roster found in OVW.

Only a few days after arriving in PPW, Ryan and Justin were involved in a fight, after Justin accused Ryan of having a sexual relationship with fellow trainee, Kurt Angle. Unfortunately, the "fight" was more of a one sided affair, with Ryan suffering a busted lip and black eye at the hands of Justin. Once PPW officials were informed of the incident, Justin was kicked out of the training program, deciding to move back to California, leaving Ryan alone in Memphis.

Kenny was then made aware of the incident by Jerry Lawler, who partially ran PPW with his longtime friend, Randy Hales.

While people in the WWF knew that Kenny had several siblings, he never mentioned Ryan by name specifically, and if he did, it was only briefly in passing conversation. So when Ryan broke into OVW as "Ryan Kilpatrick", no one knew of her lineage to Kenny, since Kenny had legally adopted the last name Shamrock as a teenager. And to keep their WWF dreams alive, both Justin and Ryan agreed not to mention anything about this to OVW or PPW officials.

Kenny at the time was very adamant about Ryan going to college and graduating, wanting her to have a "real career", and not having anything to do with professional wrestling.

She further recanted how, right before her high school graduation, she mentioned to Kenny how Justin, who was on the school's wrestling team, wanted to break into the business, and how the pair had hopes and ambitions of entering one of the big three promotions, WWF, WCW, or even ECW. Kenny, however, with a horrible temper, then threatened to "beat the shit" out of Justin if he got his little sister involved in the sport, so naturally after arriving in OVW, the pair didn't mention anything the true identity of Ryan at all.

It was only after the incident between she and Justin that Ryan finally admitted to being Kenny's little sister, taking everyone, Hales, Lawler, Davis, and Cornette utterly by surprise.

And to say Kenny was livid was an understatement. He wanted to "kill" Justin for putting his hands on his little sister, for getting her involved in a field he was vehemently against, but was equally upset with Ryan, who had been lying to Kenny for several months at that point, claiming that she was still living in California and working at some burger joint while awaiting the fall semester of college to start, when in actuality, she had spent her entire summer, and much of the fall, traveling between OVW and PPW's developmental systems.

In order to protect his sister from any similar future incidents such as this, since it was too late for her to quit developmental, especially after Hales had taken such a liking to her, Kenny then advised that Ryan adopt the last name Shamrock, as well, feeling he could protect her better if people actually knew that she was his sister.

Ryan, however, did not want anything to do with the Shamrock last name, detesting it greatly.

To her, the Shamrock's had not only abandoned her in foster care, but had also taken her brother away from her. The way she looked at things, if the Shamrock's would have taken her in just as they had done Kenny, then she would have never been gotten into wrestling in the first place.

Ultimately, however, with a lot of persuasion from Kenny, Ryan decided to use the last name, as well, knowing it would make her brother sleep a lot easier at night.

Stephanie then remembered that all of this, Ryan's story so to speak, was the genesis behind Kenny joining the Corporation.

Vince saw a lot of potential in Kenny, and he knew that with his mixed martial arts background and awesome mat-based wrestling skills and techniques, that Kenny could become the next big thing with the right push behind him, and what better push could one receive than having Vince McMahon in their corner?

Stephanie also recalled hearing about the incident with a female being assaulted by her then boyfriend while in developmental, and how Vince felt awful about that, but Stephanie never knew that this had anything to do with Ryan until now.

Vince, as a way to apologize to Kenny, and a means to strengthen the human army around him, then decided to extend an invitation to Kenny, which he accepted, becoming a full-fledge member of the Corporation, ultimately earning Vince's loyalty and respect in the process.

Within the next few months, Ryan was out of developmental and was on TV, but Kenny, of course, was non too pleased about that, although Mark apparently was.

Going back to a conversation that she and Mark shared previously, Stephanie remembered how Mark claimed that he wanted to go after Ryan from the moment she stepped foot in the company. In fact, in pure irony, Ryan made her on screen debut on television on the exact same night that Mark made his return, as well, finally being seen for the first time since his Buried Alive Match with Austin at Rock Bottom: In Your House in December. And if Stephanie's memory was correct, Mark sacrificed Mideon on that night, as well. The thought alone gave her the creeps.

Afterwards, Saphirra silently gazed out the window of the car, looking out at the passing scenery, after seemingly spilling her heart out about her early life and upbringing. That's when things suddenly became a lot clearer for Stephanie in regards to her.

Ryan had never known her biological father, and despite Stephanie not knowing all of the details surrounding her childhood, after all, she was only getting one side of what seemed to be a very sad story, Ryan never really had a hands on mother, either. As such, it was easy for her, especially now that she was in the Ministry, to be so uncaring. That's how she could do things like trip Linda from behind or threaten to mace her, because she had never known the true affections of a mother.

The way she explained it, when her family moved to Napa, her mom was less around than she was before. That probably explained why their mother could easily kick Kenny out, as well.

Sure, Kenny was already becoming a menace to society, but a mother should never give up on her child, Stephanie felt. And if Stephanie had an eight year old daughter than ran away from home in the middle of the night, she'd be devastated. There'd be missing posters planted on every telephone pole, tacked to every car windshield, placed on every bulletin board she could possibly find, from one coast to the other. Why hadn't Ryan's mom done that for her?

And it was easy for Mark to prey on Ryan, as well. He knew her weaknesses. He knew that he could play Ryan against Kenny, which he had effectively done. Who knows how he may have spun Ryan living in a foster home, while Kenny was away at the boy's home, learning mixed martial arts, or how he may have manipulated Kenny's willingness to nearly kill any member of the roster who even dared to even look at his sister?

Him wanting to brainwash Ryan and make her the first female member of the Ministry was maybe also the reason why Mark had stopped himself from spanking her in that tape he callously showed Stephanie.

Mark more than likely knew about Ryan's past with her abusive boyfriend, and to demonstrate his will over her, and to show Ryan how he would never stoop to as a low as physically harming her as Justin had, he refrained. Maybe it was calculated or maybe it was spontaneous, Stephanie didn't know, but what she did know is that Mark, much like he had down to her last night and today, proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was the king of mental warfare.

While the old Ryan's one weakness might have been men, the real Ryan, the one probably deep inside of her, probably had a severe weakness for family, for belonging. And that's what Mark presented her with.

Now she was surrounded by men all the time, and although it didn't involve any aspects of romanticism, Ryan … Saphirra … finally felt as if she belonged somewhere, which is what Mark was a genius at doing: exploiting the vulnerabilities of those closet to him, which benefitted him in the long run. But splitting several families apart to achieve his goals was something that Stephanie could never agree with him doing, because in frank, he had done the exact same thing to she and her family, as well, which is why she initially felt that she and Ryan had so much in common .. and still did.

Mark, however, unlike Stephanie, who was completely ignorant to Ryan's plight prior to her arrival in the WWF, didn't seem to care about her sad upbringing at all. In fact, he seemed rather angry, put off, by her admissions. He was annoyed with her, and he promptly let her know it.

"You've still got to be braindead stupid to go back to San Diego," Mark retorted, truly not giving a damn about Saphirra's trip down memory lane, which nearly drove a gasp out of Stephanie.

As Ryan lowered her eyes to her hands, clearly taken aback by Mark's insult, but not daring to say anything in return, while Stephanie remained flabbergasted by his rather flippant remark, the silence in the car returned yet again.

* * *

><p>After a rather long drive, as the car pulled into the driveway, Stephanie nearly jumped out of it while it was still moving she was so happy, with the visual that she was truly back at the one place where she truly wanted to be.<p>

_"Home."_

Mark's ranch was just as massive as before they left it, and although she was quite familiar with the house now, the landscape, the interior, for some strange reason, Stephanie felt as if she was coming to a brand new home all over again, one without familiarity.

And she couldn't wait to see Zeus and April again. She was quite confident that Mark's estate manager had kept both of the pups well fed and happy, but she wanted to see her babies again desperately.

Nearly bolting inside the house, leaving Mark and Saphirra to retrieve their bags, Stephanie, unlocking the door in a frenzy, was suddenly greeted with a barrage of licks and pats from her four legged babies, and she couldn't be more thrilled! April was growing bigger every single day, and Zeus … well … he was huge, hence the name. Both of them looked healthy and happy, and Stephanie, emotional, for a number of different reasons, sat on her knees in the foyer and played with the two, almost finding herself in a state of tears. She was just that excited to be back home.

As Mark walked through the door, patting Zeus on the head as he went, he was surprised to see how happy Stephanie was. Sure, they had separated, but he thought everything was fine between the two. He wasn't expecting her to be so emotional, which told him that he still had a lot to learn about women.

As Stephanie continued to sit on floor, rubbing and hugging and loving Zeus and April, another figure, a male one, suddenly stood over her. It wasn't Mark, because he wasn't standing right beside her; it wasn't Saphirra, either, since she obviously wasn't a man and had yet to even enter the house.

Looking up slowly, Stephanie saw a tall gentlemen, at least six feet in height, wearing a Houston Astros hat, blue eyes, with an arm sleeve full of tattoos, standing over and looking down at her. She had never seen this man before , and looking over at Mark, who generally always looked pissed off, Stephanie couldn't tell if he knew this man or not.

_"Who is he? Was he someone that my mom possibly sent? How did he get in our house?"_

Bending down to her, the gentlemen, extending his hand said rather calmly, "Good to see you again, Steph."

Looking up at the gentleman, who had the name "John" stitched into his shirt, Stephanie sighed outwardly. She had forgotten all about how Mark's friend, John, whom she had met a few weeks ago with John's girlfriend, Kristen, was Mark's property manager.

As relief flooded through her entire body, Stephanie looked over at Mark with rosiness creeping up in her cheeks, knowing she had mentally overreacted. Mark could also sense Stephanie's nervousness, as well, and looked down at his wife, squinting his eyes in response.

_"Geesh, McMahon, calm down."_

Rolling his eyes at his wife's clear overreaction, Mark picked Stephanie up around the waist, standing her up on her feet, while April jumped up at him playfully.

Extending her hand, as well, Stephanie replied almost shakily, "Nice to see you again, John."

"Yeah, same here," John replied, before looking Stephanie up and down. "Damn, Mark, you sure know how to pick em."

"Yeah," Mark said nonchalantly, turning his head. He clearly didn't want to get into a conversation about his previous sexual exploits as John had been known to brag on.

"And this would be?" John asked nicely, as Saphirra, with her bag slung over shoulder, walked through the door.

As Stephanie looked at her then, despite her drastic change in appearance, with the sunlight in the background shining around her, and her wearing normal clothes for a normal person today, she suddenly realized how generally pretty Saphirra was. And if she maybe added a small touch of highlight to her hair, Stephanie thought, a brunette look would possibly suit her a lot better instead of the all black look she was sporting now.

"This is someone not important," Mark said carelessly, walking to the door, ushering Saphirra in, closing the door to the home behind him. "Saphirra, John. John, Saphirra," he added hastily.

Saphirra obviously wasn't a woman big on handshakes, but before she could even attempt to offer her hand to John, Mark stood in front of her and said, "And now, she must be going to her room downstairs in the basement, isn't that right, Saphirra?"

Looking as if she wanted to protest badly, preferring to stay upstairs and not isolated in the basement, Saphirra, knowing that this was only light punishment that Mark was dishing out, nodded in agreement, saying with a trace of politeness, "Yeah. I um … have to get going."

Apparently, John, knowing him for several years, could feel the tension between Mark and Saphirra, as he looked over to Stephanie nervously, with Stephanie suddenly realizing that she was the reason why Saphirra was in trouble. Had she known she would have gotten her in trouble, she probably would have never asked her to help her out last night. And Stephanie was still being punished herself by not being able to climax. So, in other words, they were both screwed.

Taking her cue and leaving the room silently, as he watched her with cold eyes departing the room, Mark suddenly slapped John on the back, telling him, "Come on. Let's get a beer before you leave."

"Ah, you know my policy: no drinking on the job," John explained, pointing to a logo on his black collar shirt, which read: _Anderson Property Management, LLC._

"You own the damn company. Do what you want," Mark added, rubbing his friend's shoulders, actually smiling without something sinister or evil behind his facial gesture. "We've got beer, tequila, rum …"

John, having his senses flare up at the sound of one of his favorite alcoholic beverages being called out then said, "Well, now that you mention it, I am pretty wound up," as he rotated his neck and arms, stressing his voice comically. "Guess one shot of tequila never hurt nobody, now has it?"

"Thought you'd see things my way."

* * *

><p>It was around two o'clock in the afternoon, and Stephanie, in the company of her husband and John, while Zeus and April played throughout the expansive backyard, honestly felt like she was having the time of her life, and she wasn't doing anything remotely special other than having a simple conversation.<p>

In Greenwich, there was always an event to attend, always a pomp and circumstance reason to donate to the latest and greatest political fundraiser, or the grand opening of a new restaurant, and after the years wore on, especially when she and her family would go out and get noticed immediately because of their World Wrestling Federation ties, Stephanie quickly bore of the typical Greenwich blueprint for socializing.

Even when she would relay her feelings to Linda, her mother would simply brush them away, reminding Stephanie how, as a young woman of society, she had an image to maintain and being seen and photographed at such events was important to any future business or social endeavors that she would surely embark on going further into adulthood.

Obviously, things were much different in Houston than in Greenwich. Of course, Houston had its own abundance of affluent neighborhoods, Southampton Place, River Oaks, Avalon Place, to name a few, but everything in the south seemed more homier, more down to Earth, and Stephanie loved that feeling.

And while Mark and John exchanged stories about their earlier years, riding bikes together across country, getting into fights, and so on, Stephanie actually found herself laughing.

Sure, she laughed all the time, but it wasn't the polite laughter she found herself using whenever someone told a corny joke or shared a rather boring experience they previously had, which was meant to invoke laughter, but made Stephanie want to cry from the boredom of it all. This now was real, honest to goodness laughter. She was enjoying herself.

And she also learned a lot about John, as well. John not only owned the motorcycle dealership where Mark exclusively purchased all of his bikes from, _Anderson's Cycles and Choppers_, but he also, after getting into real estate, where he would originally purchase downtrodden fixer uppers and flip the homes for a profit, began to manage properties, as well, after a celebrity client of his became an investor in his real estate ventures.

John also was a fan of wrestling, and admitted to watching WWE and WCW, although Stephanie had to roll her eyes at the mere mention of WCW, which gained a laugh from both men.

While Mark didn't hate WCW over all, after all, Brian Adams was one of his best friends, he just wasn't a fan of Eric Bischoff nor his business practices. Stephanie, however, absolutely cringed at the thought of WCW. That company had cost her and her family many a sleepless nights.

After returning from the kitchen and bringing out a pitcher of lemonade, which she made herself, Stephanie received a phone call on her cell phone. Normally, Mark would tell her not to answer it, fearing it was the press, but since he was preoccupied with his John, and Stephanie's more modern cellphone, unlike Mark's, was outfitted with caller ID, she knew exactly who it was before she even answered it.

Walking away from earshot, Stephanie, pressing the green "Talk" button, answered shakily, "Hello?"

"Now that's a master plan if I ever heard one," the heavy voice said on the other end.

"Dad? Dad is this you?" Stephanie wondered. The caller ID read, McMahon, Vincent K., so she was most confident it was her father on the other end. She didn't know any other person with a voice as ravaged as his, calling her from this phone number no less.

"Steph, you're a McMahon through and through. You're learning …"

"Dad? Dad, you ok?" Stephanie asked worriedly, looking all around her, hoping Mark, which he was, was still sitting outside on the patio speaking with John.

Her father was supposed to be resting his voice. He shouldn't have even been talking, but Vince would not be held down. And apparently, he had called for a reason, despite not being able to properly execute a sentence without coughing profusely.

"I'm fine, Steph. Look, I don't have mu …" Vince was yet again cut off by his incessant coughing. He really shouldn't have been trying to talk. "Your mom's around, but Steph, I want you to know how proud I am of you."

Confused as to why Vince would claim to be proud of her, since she hadn't done anything to be proud of, Stephanie asked, "Dad. Thank, but why? I mean …"

"Steph, that idea, the abduction, brilliant," Vince managed yet again, through yet even more coughs.

Startled, Stephanie, attempting to figure out how … _why_ Vince thought that she had staged the abduction last night, mentally went through all of the possibilities of how Vince could possibly know. Had someone told him? She hadn't spoken to anyone about this outside of the Ministry. She would sincerely hope that one of them hadn't told. Did Linda know she was behind this?

Nearly stuttering, her stomach tightening into knots, her nervousness reaching a fever pitch, Stephanie replied anxiously, "Dad … Dad … What are you talking about?"

"Steph," Vince started, but then suddenly lowering his voice, suddenly hearing footsteps from outside his bedroom door.

"Steph. Just know that I think you did an amazing job last night. Only a McMahon could have come up with such a brilliant, Machiavellian like plan, Steph."

_"Oh, my God! How does he know? How could he know?!"_

"Dad, I didn't do anything," Stephanie protested. She just couldn't allow her father to know that she truly was behind the abduction from the arena last night. Vince was a calculated soul. Stephanie knew that if Vince truly knew that she was behind everything, then he'd asked her to do stuff like that more often. He could get quite overzealous with these sorts of things.

"That was all Mark and the Ministry, Dad," Stephanie lied again.

"Stephanie, I'm your father, ok? You can be honest," Vince chided. He knew that his baby girl had McMahon genes running all through her veins. Stephanie had always been timid and shy while growing up, and it pleased him to no end that she was showing that she had what it took to possibly one day become his successor in this business, despite her mother's protests.

"I really am, Dad. I didn't do anything."

Swallowing, hearing the urgency in her voice, finally realizing that Stephanie may not have had something to do with the abduction after all, Vince took a moment to speak again, sipping a gulp of water before continuing.

"Oh," he said, sounding as if he were disappointed. He really was hoping that Stephanie was behind the chaos last night at the Mark of the Quads; that meant that she was willing to do whatever it took to get the company back for Vince, however, that was slowly slipping away from him.

"Well," he started, clearing his throat yet again. "Are you alright? They haven't hurt you, have they, Princess?"

"No, no. Just … just my wrist is sore, Dad," Stephanie said, rotating it again, which did have a rather uncomfortable ache to it, only exasperated further by Mark. "I'm fine otherwise."

"Where is Mark by the way?"

"He's …" Stephanie stumbled, looking every which way, making sure that Mark was still sitting with John. She could not afford him overhearing her conversation.

"… Outside with a friend. They're talking bikes and stuff. I'm inside the house."

"Well, as long as you're safe. And Steph?"

"Yes, Dad?" Stephanie asked with sincerity, hoping her father would invite her back home or something similar. She knew that she couldn't go back, but she wanted to hear her father extend the invitation anyway. As far as she knew, her home was in Houston, but she still wanted Vince to show some semblance of a doting father. This whole reclaiming the WWF thing, however right it may seemed to Vince, had completely enveloped him; he was just as obsessed as Mark was.

"Well, those are the things that you need to start doing, in order for all of this to be successful," Vince noted.

"What?!" Stephanie said disgustingly, her voice rising. Her father was finally going above and beyond with this entire thing now, and she had the right mind to call everything off.

"I mean, think like your father, or even Mark …" Vince stopped, horridly coughing yet again. It was a wonder he could even hold a conversation for this long, but Stephanie knew that when Vince had his mind set to something, he could literally do anything.

"… Like Mark," Vince continued. "Ask yourself, what would your father or what would Mark do. When you mother flew back in this morning, I just had so many high hopes for you after she told me all of what happened. Still do. You're my baby girl, Stephanie. I need this to all work out."

"I know, Dad, but how can you ask me to …"

"It's what's best for this family."

And that's when everything once again began crashing down all around her: family. But now Stephanie had two families, and unless she could conjoin those two, someone would end up getting hurt, and she didn't want that to be either Vince or Mark; she loved both men equally, but damn it, she was putting herself under way too much pressure and stress.

"And Stephanie …?" Vince called out yet again.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Good luck."

And with that, Vince hung up the phone, gone as quickly as he called.

Stephanie found herself confused, upset, and angry all at once.

Confused because she truly didn't know if she could believe if Vince only just had a hunch about her setting up the abduction from the previous night or if someone from within the Ministry told him. If she told Mark about all this, he would be obviously upset, angry, and he would more than likely do some sort of in-house sick and twisted "investigation" and she didn't want to get anyone in trouble, especially after she was the one who asked the Ministry in the first place to help her out last night. Plus, while Stephanie had Mark's permission to speak to her mother every now and again, she wasn't supposed to be speaking to the Vince at all. But on the other hand, if there was a mole within the Ministry, Mark should surely know about it.

She was also upset because her father literally only cared about one thing and that was regaining his share of the company back. And it wasn't fair that Stephanie was stuck in the middle of all this.

And she was angry because Vince hadn't even told her that he loved her. He obviously trusted her, maybe trusted her more than Shane now, and that meant a great deal to her, but other than that, where was the love? He seemed a bit concerned when she lied about not being involved in that harebrained scheme last night, afraid for her safety, or that's what it at least sounded like.

She really didn't know what to do. She wanted for both Mark and Vince to get along, but they hated each other. And how long was she supposed to go on with these charades? There was only so much time she had before Linda came looking for her again, and unlike Saphirra's mother, Stephanie knew that Linda would not give up on bringing her daughter home.

Clutching her cell phone in her hand, Stephanie turned around to go back out to patio with Mark and John, but was startled beyond belief when April walked over to her. Now she was jumpy and testy all over again.

_"Gee. Thanks, Dad."_

Bending down to rub April's tummy for a moment, Stephanie stood back up and looked around the backyard from within the house. What she needed now was space; she needed to clear her head, and she had just the plan to achieve this.

Walking back outside to the table, Stephanie saw that the entire pitcher of lemonade that she made was now gone. She wanted both gentleman to like it, but as she looked around at the empty bottles of tequila, she knew exactly what had happened to all of it.

"I hate to interrupt, but Mark, baby, can I see you in the kitchen for a moment, please?" Stephanie asked politely, picking up the tray and empty pitcher to take back with her. She was happy to see Mark actually smiling again, actually having a good time, but she had to see him for a moment. It was most urgent.

Getting up from his seat and walking into the kitchen with her, Stephanie sat the items down onto the counter and said, "Babe, I need to go into town for a moment."

Raising his eyebrow, feeling something was wrong, since Stephanie never went anywhere by herself since her move here, Mark asked, "Why? Something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing's wrong," Stephanie shook her head wildly. "You know … while it's on my mind … it's almost that time of the month."

"Oh," Mark said plainly, before finally realizing what Stephanie truly meant. "Oh," he then said a little bit more certain now.

_"Another lie, Stephanie. You're just overflowing with those these days."_

As Stephanie turned her back to him, about to put away the various things on the counter, she suddenly felt Mark's arms wrap tightly around her upper body, as he kissed alongside her neck, attempting to lower his fingers into the waistband of her skirt.

Her breath catching with sensualness, Stephanie, through pants, as Mark always seemed to know exactly which buttons to press, said out pantingly, "Mark … your guest."

Reaching his hand into her panties, feeling about her moist folds, as her head bent backwards, enjoying the sensation, Mark mouthed out, "He'll be fine."

"I thought …" she attempted to say. Mark was turning into Stephanie's dark and dangerous Don Quijote. He never missed an opportunity to explore Stephanie's body, not even when he was supposedly upset with her.

"… I thought you were mad at me?" Stephanie managed through gasps.

Lifting his mouth from her neck, Mark suddenly twist Stephanie around so she could face him. Then, hiking up her leg, exposing her black lace panties, Mark slowly began plucking away at Stephanie through her panties, causing her wetness to nearly soak through the lace. She was just always so warm and inviting for him that Mark could hardly resist at times.

"I am," he confirmed, nibbling at the side of her lips, before drumming at her clitoris through her panties, causing Stephanie to swallow a rather loud moan that nearly escaped her lips. She didn't want John to overhear her moment of passion.

"Get Saphirra to drive you. And you better be back in two hours. Understand?" Mark ordered, placing a long finger in front of her face, while teasing her below.

Nodding rapidly, knowing that Mark was willing, if he wanted to, to take her right then and there, in the kitchen, no less, while one of his best friends was only mere feet away on the patio, Stephanie mouthed heavily, "Yes."

"Yes, what?" Mark demanding, now pinching at her clit, feeling her belly clinch with the move. He knew all the right strings to pull with her.

"Yes, sir," Stephanie whispered, biting her lip.

As Mark slowly crept away from his wife, and Stephanie put her leg back down onto the ground, noticing that Mark was giving her a look that would suggest that he would pounce on her at any given moment, Stephanie slowly made her away around the other side of the counter, but Mark, being whom he was, crept around the counter in the opposite direction, clearly teasing her.

Attempting to head into town sooner rather than later, knowing that if she got tangled up with Mark, she'd never leave, Stephanie made a dash out of the kitchen for the upstairs, while Mark jumped in her direction, sending her scurrying.

After running upstairs and taking a quick shower, changing into newer clothes, Stephanie walked back downstairs, and opened the door that led to the basement. The last time that she was down here, Mark was showing her some perverted home movie about the systematic brainwashing of Ryan, and that made the pit of her gut feel awfully funny.

Walking down the stairs and along the closed doors, Stephanie walked up to the door to that was only the spare bedroom in the basement, and began tapping on it lightly. Hearing Saphirra sitting up in the bed hastily, she heard her say quietly, "Come on."

Turning the knob, Saphirra, upon seeing Stephanie, let out a disappointed, "Oh." She was hoping that the knock was coming from her master, hoping she'd finally get the opportunity to explain her actions of last night, but seeing that it was only Stephanie, she quickly slumped her shoulders, returning her eyes back to the WWF Magazine, which coincidentally had her master featured on the cover.

Sighing, feeling awful for Saphirra getting caught up in something that originally had nothing to do with her, Stephanie said, "Look. Saphirra, I'm sorry, ok? I'm sorry you're stuck down here and I'm sorry that Mark's mad at you. It was all my fault. I apologize."

Sighing herself now, flipping a page through the magazine, Saphirra let out a "Sure, _Stephanie_."

"Look I know you're upset, but …"

"Hell yeah I am. But duty calls. As long as I stay in the Ministry … right?" Saphirra asked, looking up at Stephanie nervously. The only reason why she even gone through with what she did last night was because Stephanie promised her that she could keep her place in the Ministry by doing so. But now it seemed as if her master was more angry at her now than he was before.

She figured that her even being in her master's house was all Stephanie's doing, and maybe she wasn't out of the Ministry just yet, but her master had made her stay in the basement. She was completely lost into the mind frame of her master, and it was nearly driving her insane.

"Saphirra, I didn't lie when I told you that you would stay, and Mark has agreed to let you stay," Stephanie said, watching as Saphirra nearly shed a tear at the fact. Knowing her background a little more now, Stephanie understood better why staying in the Ministry, even when Mark subjected her to harsh and unfair treatment at times, was so important to her.

Continuing, as she watched relief swoop throughout Saphirra's entire body, Stephanie said, "He even wants you to accompany me into town?"

"Really?" Saphirra asked, entirely overjoyed.

"Yeah, really, so get your things, and hurry up."

Nearly jumping from the bed she was so excited, Saphirra looked around for her shoes and such and asked curiously, "So, where are we going?"

Stopping at the door, knowing that Saphirra would never agree to this latest development if she told her the truth beforehand, Stephanie said, "Just … into town. But our time is short."


	73. Stephanie vs Angel

Mark had an assortment of motorcycles and trucks, more bikes than pickups, but Stephanie really wasn't fond of any of them. She wanted for the two of them to go into town together to purchase her a new car, something modest, like a BMW or a Mercedes, nothing too over the top, but as time was not on her side today, she'd just have to wait on the new car, at least for today.

Fortunately, however, Saphirra was the one who drove the two into town, with Stephanie encouraging her to do so. She just wasn't a fan of trucks; she thought they were tacky. Mark obviously did a lot of work himself around his ranch, which is why he purchased them, however, Stephanie just could never see herself personally getting behind the wheel of one.

Unfortunately for her, however, Saphirra had a very heavy foot. It seemed as if the horsepower in the truck was not enough to suit her driving needs, because she literally pushed the pickup to about as fast as it could go, with the countryside whisking by in a heartbeat it felt, making Stephanie a nervous wreck.

Whenever she drove, she always adhered speed limit. When she was in Greenwich, her friends used to tease her by nicknaming her "Morgan Freeman", since they felt as if she was driving Miss. Daisy she drove so slowly.

Saphirra on the other could have doubled as the personal chauffeur for Evel Knievel himself, since it appeared as if she was attempting to possibly break the sound barrier she barreled though the outskirts of Houston so quickly. It literally made Stephanie's heart nearly jump out of her chest.

_"Thank God for seat belts!"_

After making it to the city at record speed, the two stopped and asked for directions to the pharmacy that Stephanie had decided upon before leaving. The one gentlemen they stopped on a nearby sidewalk, however, nearly turned to stone at the sight of Saphirra's wicked expression. She knew that she was creeping him out, and with one quick "Boo!", after leaning over Stephanie in the passenger seat, the man dropped all of the groceries that he was carrying in his arms, dribbling the address of the pharmacy off in record time.

After speeding away, with Saphirra laughing manically about causing the man to drop his groceries on the sidewalk, the two finally arrived at the Rite-Aid Pharmacy, which was located in a shopping center in a part of town called Montrose.

When Stephanie was back at home, she made sure to look through all the prescription pill bottles of Mark's that she could possibly find, and each one of them had the name and address of a Brent's Drugs printed on the label. She purposely avoided that drug store. If Mark went into that particular pharmacy for all of his medical needs, then the mom and pop pharmacy would surely know about him being married by now, and she didn't want to risk being recognized.

Plus, Rite Aid serviced hundreds of customers a day. Along with HIPAA Laws the pharmacists had to abide by, no one would say anything about Stephanie getting a prescription filled. But, she had a plan to make absolute certain that all went well this afternoon.

"So, what are we doing in the parking lot of the Rite-Aid? Don't tell me you need your pictures printed out?" Saphirra asked sarcastically.

"No, silly, you're so funny. Did anyone ever tell you that you have such a great, great sense of humor?" Stephanie exaggerated, slapping Saphirra on her knee as she went.

Inwardly, Stephanie knew that Saphirra had possibly the worst sense of humor ever in the history of mankind. The girl thought funerals were stand up comedy acts. But, she had to attempt to win her over. Saphirra, however, simply popped a piece of bubblegum in return, casually replying, "Nope."

"Well, they absolutely should, because you are," Stephanie said, nudging Saphirra's arm, who still didn't quite give in to where Stephanie wanted her to be. "You're a regular Phyllis Diller if I ever saw one."

"Want to do you want, McMahon?"

"Ah, ah, ah," Stephanie warned, wagging a finger in Saphirra's face. "Stephanie, remember?"

Rolling her eyes, acknowledging the pact they had made from a few days ago, Saphirra agreed and said, "Ok, _Stephanie_. What do you want?"

"I need a favor from you," Stephanie finally admitted, giving up on attempting win Saphirra over. A root canal would probably go smoother than trying to flatter her.

"How did I not know this was coming? You know, for a moment there, I actually thought that something about you was … hmm … sincere, _Stephanie_," Saphirra said cynically. "Clearly, there's always an agenda when it comes to you."

"Please," Stephanie begged. "You're the only person besides my doctor who knows about … you know."

"You being pregnant?" Saphirra said flatly.

"Yeah," Stephanie said unenthusiastically, twisting her fingers, nervous. "That."

"So what is it this time? Too late for me to be a surrogate … as if I would ever," Saphirra added sarcastically. "And I can't be a midwife. Kids really aren't my thing, you know?"

"No, but there is a way that you can still help."

"What's in it for me? Oh, and it better be good this time," Saphirra noted, as Stephanie tinkered with her hands.

"Well, I was kinda hoping that you would do it based off friendship," Stephanie added, smiling and tilting her head to the side now, while Saphirra blinked on blankly, not believing Stephanie's bravado.

"Friendship, huh?"

"And … yeah … um …"

"Just get to the point!" Saphirra said as she threw her hands into the air. She figured they'd sit in that parking lot all night before Stephanie came up with a real reason as to why Saphirra should help her.

"I need you to fake being me," Stephanie added bluntly, watching as Saphirra's face went from indifference to contorting in laughter.

After a minute of howling, with Stephanie trying to figure out what was so funny, Saphirra, within laughs, tears almost streaming down her face as a result, said, "You know, Stephanie, you're a character. Like a cartoon one, though."

Stephanie, however, was taken aback a small bit.

_"Really? Her daily wardrobe up until today has been all black and I'm a cartoon?"_

However, Stephanie didn't dare say this aloud. She needed Saphirra to agree to help her.

"Like, you say things, and you do things, and you think that everything is going to be roses and fairytales the next day. Hello, this is not a fantasy land," Saphirra said, tapping Stephanie's forehead as she went, still laughing.

"I mean, we look nothing alike. What, we're both white and that's about it. How am I supposed to pretend to be you, and why? What's the story behind this maniacal scheme? I mean, I've just gotta hear it."

Sighing, taking a very distinguishable trait from her father, which was hating being laughed at, Stephanie said, "I knew you would say that, so that's why I brought this."

Stephanie then held up a huge multicolored tote bag, which looked as if it weighed a few pounds it was so stuffed with different items.

"A purse? That's your grand idea, your grand vision to turn me into you?" Saphirra asked comically. This is the most she had truly laughed in a very long time.

"Now you really are being silly," Stephanie added, rolling her eyes, clearly getting annoyed. People laughing at her bugged her severely.

Opening the bag, Stephanie began pulling out a number of things, including a gray cardigan, a gray short sleeve sweater, a darker gray loose fitting pencil skirt, a pair of dark stockings, various shades of lipsticks, blushes, hair brushes, makeup brushes, earrings, bracelets, brown Mary Jane wedges, with the smallest heel imaginable, pink fingernail polish, nail polish remover, a variety of eye shadows, wet wipes, and a brunette wig.

Saphirra, taking in everything that Stephanie pulled out of her bag, noticeably not laughing anymore, looked out the window incredulously, saying under her breath, "And I thought my family had issues. This is the weirdest fucking family I've ever seen in my life."

"Well, that's it," Stephanie said, making absolute certain that all of the items she had brought along were take out of the bag.

Chuckling, almost at a loss for words, Saphirra asked, "You expect me to wear all this?" her hands making a circling motion, indicating all of the items that Stephanie had brought along on their car trip, attempting to rationalize exactly what Stephanie was asking her to do.

Nodding, as if she didn't see the problem with Saphirra initiating her, Saphirra said definitively, "No."

"No? Like, what's the problem? You like being mean and doing stuff like this?" Stephanie said earnestly, knowing being evil was a true forte for Saphirra.

"Hmm. Let's start from the top and work our way down there, pinpointing the smallest, minor little problems I see with all of this, shall we?" Saphirra said, wanting to get her point across to Stephanie as adult-like as possible. Her dressing up like her, pretending to be her seemed to be a plan Stephanie hatched in the middle of Toon World.

"Ok," Stephanie agreed, clearly not understanding Saphirra's cynicism.

"I've already gotten in trouble for you once, so naturally my willingness to get in trouble yet again is highly unlikely, and if so, the small amount of conscience that I do have left begins to speak, and it has already spoken," Saphirra said. "But even so, let's continue to figure out all of what is wrong with … this," she said, circling her hands yet again around all the various products Stephanie had brought along with them.

Looking at Saphirra nodding innocently, having to roll her eyes as a result, Saphirra stated, "I can go to jail for fraud. You know, that is a real thing in this country. And false impersonation. Can't forget to leave that out, either," patting herself on the forehead, as if she remembered something.

"Your husband might have gotten away with it a couple times, pretending he was Kane, but I'm no Undertaker. I can and will go to jail forever if I get caught. I'm definitely no Jimmy Snuka. Your dad is not going to be photographed walking into the police precinct where I'm being held and come out empty handed and I'm suddenly freed. That's won't happen. So … all of this … yeah … no."

Although she was shooting down Stephanie's idea, when Saphirra was actually coherent, and not speaking in riddles, Stephanie thought she actually made a lot of sense, which caught her off guard, more so than her saying no to her latest scheme. And for the first time that Stephanie could recall, Saphirra actually referred to Mark as "Undertaker" and not "master". She knew Mark would have been a definite stretch for her, but for a moment, Stephanie was truly blown away about how much sense Saphirra made in that instance.

In truth, if Saphirra was asking her to partake in something like this, her answer would be no, as well. But she needed her to go through with this. She felt as if her livelihood was depending on it.

"Look, I know you won't get caught. No one has ever seen me before," Stephanie noted, while Saphirra had her head turned from Stephanie, looking out of the window, attempting to drown her out. "You may be a few inches shorter than me, but come on, we have the same skin tone, same facial structure almost. You could definitely pass for me with a little working over."

"How much working over? I like my look. It compliments me very well. Your secretary-ish, born-again, Virgin Mary, mmm … 'look' doesn't quite go with all this," Saphirra added, subliminally noting her body structure versus Stephanie's.

Rolling her eyes, realizing that Saphirra was quite full of herself, Stephanie replied, "I know, but it's only temporary."

"How temporary?"

"Well, until the prescription is ready. Look, I promise, nothing's going to happen. And, don't you think it'll be fun to be me, even for a few moments?" Stephanie tempted.

"No, not really. But, being the daughter of a multi-millionaire, even if it is fake, does hold some sort of temptation for. Will I get paid for this?"

"I've got a $100 bucks," Stephanie said, shrugging.

"Never mind, I'm not that bad off," Saphirra waved off. She wasn't quite that desperate yet to start selling her services for a measly C-Note.

"So … will you do it?" Stephanie asked, looking over at Saphirra with pleading eyes. She needed Saphirra to agree to this one last request. She felt that she and her unborn child's future depended on it.

Shaking her head profusely, then raking her hands through her black hair, Saphirra finally gave in.

"Ok, yeah, fine, whatever. I'm crazy. But, make no mistake about it. This … oh, this is definitely it," Saphirra added. She really was quite tired of risking herself for Stephanie when the rewards were so few and far in between.

"Don't worry," Stephanie assured. "I'm already indebted to you for the rest of my life."

"Yeah, you bet your Greenwich ass you are."

Stephanie, with the truck parked in the middle of the parking lot, helped Saphirra change into her temporary new attire. Stephanie knew that Saphirra was not afraid of showing a little skin, but even she would be remiss to actually changing clothes in the middle of shopping center.

It was also nearing ninety degrees, even in the afternoon, yet Saphirra had the driver window rolled down. As such, two gentlemen, both of whom looked to be in their early 20s, happened to walk by as Saphirra, clad in only a black bra, was changing into the cashmere sweater, cat calling her.

Stephanie immediately turned beat red. Even though all of this was her idea, the thought of Saphirra being caught in the middle of a strip mall's parking lot in only a slim piece of fabric embarrassed her to no end. Saphirra, however, never skipping a beat, squinting her eyes at the two men, clearly with disdain, turned the key to ignition, which allowed her simply roll the tinted window up, permanently blocking the gentlemen's view.

With her old makeup removed, her nose ring gone, and the old her seemingly absent, as well, Saphirra, stepping out of the truck, looked rather disgusted. Her appearance had completely gone under a metamorphosis yet again.

There was no black lipstick, no dark eye shadow, not even the black fingernail polish that she had become accustomed to. No, instead, her makeup was minimal at best. There was only a hint of rosy powder around her cheeks, only a pale pink lipstick coloring her lips, and only a touch of minimalistic pink eyeshadow at the top of her eyelids. In short, Saphirra felt her facial features, which were broad and strong, now looked dull and boring. It made her look almost innocent. She hated looking innocent.

And her attire?

"I look like I'm going to someone's Baptism," she noted.

If she were going in for a job interview, Stephanie felt as if she would have the position on the spot. To her, she looked nice, normal, the way she was meant to look. She felt her entire gothic schtick was taking away from her true beauty.

She also made it a point to pin Saphirra's black hair underneath the brunette wig, which was tamed in conservative cut, giving her the appearance of a poised and in control professional; a woman of the 90s Stephanie thought … if that woman happened to work for a publishing house.

And as it turned out, with all of the enhancements to her facial features and wardrobe, Saphirra really did resemble Stephanie. Standing in front of her, Stephanie realized that if Saphirra was only about four inches taller, and took on more of her ladylike mannerisms, then the two could possibly pass for actual siblings. The resemblance the two shared with just on a few kinks and twists was striking.

"I feel like Stephanie McMahon is crawling out of my pores," Saphirra completely, clearly not smitten with her new look.

"Don't worry, you look great," Stephanie remarked. Or at least she did in her eyes.

"If that's a compliment, I'll take it as an insult." Looking in the rearview mirror, Saphirra felt stripped of her identity. When she was younger, she always wanted to know how it felt to be wealthy, to trade places with someone who came from a rich family. But, if this is what she was reduced to wearing, she'd gladly stick to being raised poor.

Rolling her eyes again, Stephanie dabbed on just a tiny more of her "Pretty in Pink" lipstick onto Saphirra's lips. After all, she thought, the perfect pout is what made Stephanie … Stephanie.

"But this is stupid," Saphirra added, as Stephanie continued to spruce up her attire, making sure any and all wrinkles in her clothing were either not there or couldn't be detected to the naked eye. "If you were going to dress me up identical to you, why not just go in and get your own damn medicine? They do have drive-thru windows you know."

"Yes, I know about the drive-thru window and that's why I didn't," Stephanie said as she took a step back, marveling her creation. "You're supposed to be my sister. Stacy … Stacy McMahon."

"Stacy McMahon?" Saphirra repeated in disbelief.

"Yeah," Stephanie added as she wrung her hand, while Saphirra began tapping her foot impatiently. "My brother's named Shane, I'm Stephanie, and you're … you're Stacy. Stacy McMahon."

"But I though I was supposed to be you?"

"Well, had I told you that you'd be Stacy and not Stephanie … I mean, there's a lot of fun in being me. I just figured that you wouldn't want to do it."

"So you figured that one boring brunette was better than the other one?" Saphirra asked sarcastically again. If she was going to be a McMahon, at least she could have been a real one.

"I mean …"

"And this prescription came from Greenwich," Saphirra noted, looking down at the piece of paper which read Graves, Fields, & Lewis Gynecology & Obstetrics in the top right hand corner. "Aren't I supposed to have like identification or something?"

And from seemingly out of nowhere, Stephanie whipped out a small card, handing it over to Saphirra.

Looking at it, then looking back up with the Stephanie with disbelief, Saphirra asked, "A fake, I.D., Stephanie, really?

"I mean, Mideon told me at the arena last night, while he was rambling on incessantly, about this friend who made realistic fake I.D. cards, who just so happened to lived close by," Stephanie explained. "So, while in Moline, I asked him to make me one … for you … so … you know. He has this whole computer database thing where the scanner is hooked up to this other thing … it's really quite fascinating and neat once you get into it all."

"So, you've had this planned for how long now?" Saphirra asked pointedly. Clearly if Stephanie had a fake I.D. all ready for her, this wasn't some spur of the moment idea.

As Stephanie silently shrugged, Saphirra looking down at the fake I.D. again, which looked realistic, rambled off the details of the card.

"'McMahon, Patricia Stacy'. Oh, that's rich. Height, 5-5. At least something is accurate. Eyes, blue. So far so good. Issued 07.30.1995. Interesting. Date of birth 07.30.1973? 7-73? Really, Stephanie? I'm younger than you are."

"I know … surprisingly," Stephanie admitted through gritted teeth, kicking her feet about the pavement, begrudgingly. "But, I am the baby of the family, so it really wouldn't work if on your fake ID you were younger than me," Stephanie added rather loudly, at the realization that Saphirra was actually a whole three years younger than she was.

Shushing her as quickly as she could, not wanting some busybody, or worse, a police officer, to overhear that she was in possession of a fake I.D., Saphirra said lowly, "You are way too loud. Look. This better be worth the therapy."

Looking around for a moment, throwing the I.D. card and the prescription that Stephanie had given to her into the brown shoulder bag that Stephanie had also given her, Saphirra exclaimed once more, "Oh, God," before walking into the automatic door of the Rite-Aid.

Relieved, feeling as if she had finally gotten though yet another hurdle, Stephanie stepped back into the truck, glad to find that Saphirra had left the keys in the ignition. Even in the afternoon, the Houston humidity was quite much for her, the one thing she didn't love about living in the South. With the breeze from the air conditioning keeping her cool, time eventually began to fade away even more.

She imagined that over an hour had passed since Saphirra had first entered the pharmacy, and Stephanie was quickly becoming impatient.

She attempted to fiddle around with the truck's radio, but being that she was still new to Houston, she couldn't locate any of the stations she wanted to listen to. She wanted to listen to the Backstreet Boys, N*SYNC, and Britney Spears. She wasn't a big fan of Rap nor Country, yet those were the only stations she could find.

Giving up completely, Stephanie took the keys from the truck's ignition and decided to seek out Saphirra, while also possibly even picking up a few items she and Mark needed for home.

Getting out rather carefully, not wanting to make the jump down, Stephanie began walking in the direction of the pharmacy, when clumsily, she dropped her purse. Bending down to retrieve it, Stephanie suddenly noticed a figure she recognized, walking in her direction, exiting the neighboring hair salon. And Stephanie knowing exactly whom it was, was suddenly filled with anger.

Stephanie was not a fighting woman. She felt horrible after getting physical with Saphirra, but for some strange reason now, the thought of her having her way with this particular person, had she not been pregnant, was very tempting.

As the woman neared closer, the lights to a yellow Corvette suddenly flashing on and off, Stephanie decided to make her move. She had a definite bone to pick, and she figured that now would be the perfect time to pick it.

Walking in the woman's direction, Stephanie intentionally bumped into her with her shoulder as the woman was passing.

"Oh, excuse me, I am so sorry," she offered the blonde woman, insincerely however.

"Yeah, could you watch where you're … oh," Angel stopped, realizing that the person who had inadvertently bumped into her was Mark's wife, Stephanie. "It's Ms. McMahon," Angel replied, snidely, looking Stephanie up and down, faking a smile.

"Actually, it's Mrs. Calaway," Stephanie corrected. Remembering back to her very first encounter with Angel, she just felt an aura around Mark's attorney that just seemed to evoke trouble, and sure enough, her instincts were not wrong.

"Right, right, _Mrs_. Calaway," Angel said rather condescendingly, hardly able to muster the correction herself.

To Angel, Stephanie was nothing more than a little girl, a little brat from Greenwich, Connecticut, who was now married to one of the most tempting men in all of Houston. While Mark may have been oblivious, he nearly had a cult following of various women around Houston hoping to become the _real_ Mrs. Calaway. And even if Angel couldn't divorce her husband because of all the impending scandal, she would have rather Mark picked any woman over Stephanie McMahon to be his bride. She was just so homely, and Plain Jane-ish. She just didn't see the appeal of Stephanie McMahon, besides her riches, whatsoever.

_"What can Alice in Wonderland here offer Mark that a real Southern belle like myself can't?"_ Angel thought to herself menacingly.

"Well, it's certainly a pleasure to finally see you out and about in the great state of Texas," Angel said, counterfeiting a genuine conversation between the two.

Angel's and Stephanie's personalities clashed about as well as oil and water. Both women knew this, but it was Stephanie, however, who took the first shot.

"Yeah, I am out. And I'm back. I hope Mark filled you in, since you were apparently so happy to so me go," Stephanie said sharply, looking Angel squarely in the eyes.

After Mark's admission about Angel potentially attempting to sabotage their marriage, as if they didn't have enough troubles of their own, Stephanie's blood boiled much to like it was now. And now that she was standing face to face with this woman, she wanted answers into Angel's snooping of other's personal affairs, more specifically her's.

Smiling politely, her attorney senses kicking in, Angel said, "Look, Steph … May I call you Steph?"

Shaking her head from side to side, Stephanie replied quickly, "No."

Sighing, rolling her eyes, visibly unnerved about this very awkward confrontation she was having with one of her client's spouses, especially after a fresh wash and curl, Angel attempted to reason, "_Stephanie_, I know what you're getting at, but I really must assure you that your assumptions are completely wrong."

"Really? So how does telling my husband that he would 'run me off' or 'hurt me' not interfere with my marriage?" Stephanie wondered.

"Stephanie, I've known Mark for a very long time …" Angel started.

"… As have I …" Stephanie said sharply, cutting Angel off. This was very much unlike her.

Usually, Stephanie attempted to avoid conflict and drama at any and all costs, but if she let Angel get away with this, then she'd probably get involved even more as her marriage to Mark progressed, and Stephanie would be damned if she allowed any other woman other than herself to even think about dictating her marriage.

"… And I did not want to see you hurt," Angel continued swiftly.

This was really not how she wanted to end her day. After meeting with client for lunch, Angel decided that she'd unwind a bit at the salon and spa. She then phoned a few girlfriends, and they decided that they'd go out for cocktails after sunset. So arguing with Stephanie, in the middle of a public parking lot, no less, was definitely not on her agenda.

"I've seen Mark run off tons of women, all of them, a lot tougher than you," Angel added, still eyeing Stephanie up and down. "He doesn't know how to love women. And as his attorney, I advise him on a lot of things, some even personal, because we've known each other for that long. It was only my opinion, but I apologize if you were hurt by my words. I only meant to help."

"Only meant to help, huh?"

"Absolutely," Angel nodded with a look of sincerity, knowing that she had successfully won Stephanie over. If this was a court case, then she figured that she had already been awarded the victory.

"Well, if you want to keep helping, stay the hell out of my marriage," Stephanie nearly screamed, looking down at Angel, who was only about two inches shorter than she was.

"Excuse, me?" Angel asked, clearly appalled. "How dare you?"

"No, no excuses needed. Don't be fooled. Ok, Angel? I'm not as innocent as I look. I know a lot of women like you," and with that, Stephanie returned the condescending gaze that Angel had bestowed upon her. She wasn't fooled nor impressed by this woman.

"Like me?" Angel asked, chuckling, as her tongue flicked over her red lips. "And just what kind of woman am I, _Ms_. McMahon?"

Tapping the side of her forehead lightly with her forefinger, initiating that she was thinking, Stephanie remarked, "A woman who will say and do anything to keep the other woman out of the picture, so she can end up having the one man she truly does want. I saw how you looked at me the very first time we met. Admit it, I'm a threat to you."

Laughing aloud now, placing her Chanel handbag on the trunk of her Corvette, then placing both hands on her hips, Angel replied matter of factly, "Stephanie, little girl, you're no threat to _anyone_, let alone me. I'm hired as Mr. Calaway's attorney …"

"… You're right: his _attorney_," Stephanie said, cutting off Angel yet again. She could tell that even though Angel was used to duking it out in the courtroom, she was highly disturbed by the display the two were carrying on in the middle of a parking lot, as several individuals, who also saw the tension between the two, looked on as they entered the various buildings of the shopping center. Stephanie didn't care, however. Angel had overstepped her bounds completely, and she aimed to do something about it.

"You're not his psychic advisor, you're not the gatekeeper of his love life; you handle his legal affairs, and that's about it. I should think after this conversation, we won't have this issue again, will we?" Stephanie asked, but asked more so warningly.

Stephanie was willing to do any and everything within her power to make sure that her marriage was a success, and she wasn't about to let anyone get in the way of her goal, either, not even Angel. She wanted peace in her life, and through no fault of her own for the most part, she hadn't been receiving that. This was her chance of righting the wrongs from the past.

Angel, however, never backing down from a verbal fight, her tongue being her most lethal weapon then said, "Oh, Stephanie. Silly, silly Stephanie. If only you knew what other _affairs_ I've had …"

And after hearing the stress that Angel placed on the word "affairs", Stephanie, backing Angel up into the trunk of her car, saw red. She didn't know what had come over her!

_"Is she inferring that she had sex with Mark?"_

Suddenly, running from the opposite direction, Saphirra, still in disguise as Stacy, quickly stood in between Stephanie and Angel with her arms outstretched. What was Stephanie doing?

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What is this? What's going on here?"

"Get this crazy bitch away from me!" Angel demanded, while onlookers stared at the ensuing showdown.

"Bitch?" Stephanie yelled, incensed that Angel had called her that. "You're lucky I don't make you my bitch, _bitch_!"

"And who the hell are you?!" Angel suddenly fired back at Saphirra, violently knocking the girl's forearm away from her.

Under normal circumstances, with more and more people now paying attention to the scene playing out in front of them, Saphirra would have probably decked the blonde. She, unlike Stephanie, did not feel as if she were above a physical altercation. However, Saphirra's main concern, above all else, was keeping Stephanie safe. God only knew what her master would do to her if something ended up happening to Stephanie. Plus, she was pregnant, and that literally changed everything.

"Look, lady," Saphirra shouted over the chaos. "You better leave before I really become unrestrained, and you," she said pointing to Stephanie. "Back in the truck, now."

"Yeah, run along little girl. You know you have a bed time," Angel antagonized, while Saphirra moved Stephanie back in the direction of the pickup.

"Didn't I tell you to hop off?" Saphirra asked loudly, looking back at Angel.

"You don't tell me what to do! I don't even know you!" Angel shouted back, clearly not intimidated. On one hand, Saphirra looked awfully familiar to her, but Angel was so upset by all that had transpired between she and Stephanie in such a short amount of time, that she honestly didn't give a damn who she was at that moment.

Saphirra, however, having seen and heard enough, slowly turned her head back to Angel, telling Stephanie to "wait right here." Walking in the direction of the Corvette now, Angel, seeing Saphirra's demeanor completely change, quickly opened her car door and stepped inside of it, with Saphirra hearing the car doors lock almost instantly.

Feeling that she had done her job, as Angel barreled out the parking lot, as various spectators, attempting to make way for the speeding Chevy, dispersed, Saphirra turned back around to address the crowd, who were still in a somewhat in a state of disbelief over the argument between Stephanie and Angel.

"That's it people! Nothing to see here! Move it along!"

As the crowd began to dissipate, talking amongst themselves, still at a loss for words for what had just taken place, Saphirra stepped back into the truck, turned the key to the ignition, and drove away from the parking lot almost as madly as Angel.


	74. Three's Company (Part 1)

"Just what in the hell do you think you were doing back there?!" Saphirra screamed at Stephanie, as they veered through the heavy traffic of Houston.

She could not believe that under her supervision no less, Stephanie had engaged in near physicality with some random woman! If anything would have happened to her, _her_ ass would be on the line! She'd be kicked out the Ministry, sent to WWF purgatory, fired, blackballed from the professional wrestling industry, and there'd be absolutely nothing she could do about it!

On top of all this, Stephanie also ran the risk of hurting her unborn child, which Saphirra guessed Stephanie still hadn't told her master about. And if her master also found out that she was also hiding the secret of Stephanie's pregnancy from him, that she was a willing participant in Stephanie's lies … she shuttered to think what would truly happen then.

"Look, I don't want to talk about it," Stephanie shot back angrily. She no longer wanted to think about Angel Scott nor their confrontation, however, when she returned home, she had more than a few questions to ask her dearly beloved husband.

"Oh, you better talk," Saphirra warned. "Do you realize …" Saphirra started, until she realized that she still had the brunette wig on. Yanking the awful thing off the top of her head and throwing it out of the window, Saphirra said again, " … Do you realize what you almost did? And who was that woman you were arguing with? Hello?! Answers are welcome!"

"That was Mark's attorney," Stephanie said plainly, looking out the window now, while Saphirra attempted to navigate the interstate system.

"Oh, great. You do all of that with his attorney and I take the fall for it," Saphirra rationalized ironically. "Perfect. Perfect. My day couldn't have ended any better."

"Look," Stephanie said irritatingly. She had enough problems of her own, and selfishly, she wasn't in the mood to hear anyone else's, either. "I already told you; nothing's going to happen to you."

"Oh, really?" Saphirra asked sarcastically. "You get into a confrontation with this attorney lady, you're his wife, I was there, and if something happened to you, you're telling me that I would have gotten off Scott free? Ha. Now who's the _real_ Phyllis Diller? That's the biggest load of horse shit I've ever heard."

"Can you just can it, ok? Drop it!" Stephanie ordered, finding her voice rising.

She hadn't been this upset, this angry, since the last time that she and Saphirra had a row, and that girl knew how to push buttons like no other. If Angel could make her feel like this, and she was Mark's attorney no less, how would they even coexist going into the future?

"Look, _Stephanie_, I know you may think the world revolves around your ass, but you need to wake the fuck up, _Princess_. Everything is not always about you! You could have gotten hurt, and oh, yeah, sure, I'll be fine, fuck me. Saphirra, she'll survive," she stated as she continued to navigate through the heavy interstate traffic, vexed by Stephanie's selfishness.

"And, let's not forget the fact that you're _pregnant!_ You're pregnant, ok? You have others in this world that are directly affected by the bullshit that you do now! Why don't you think about all that before you champion yourself with this self-righteous, it's all about me attitude, ok?"

After Saphirra's verbal scolding, the women sat in silence for a few moments, as they continued to drive in the direction of Mark's ranch. Stephanie was truly at a loss for words now. She was still upset, true, but in those moments, when she had the time to actually think things through, Saphirra was absolutely right.

Everything did not revolve around her, and yes, there were people, like her unborn child, who depended on Stephanie to make conscious decisions, and to not be constantly motivated by self-importance.

She had openly criticized Mark in the past for essentially doing the same thing: risking the physical well-being of others around him just to achieve a means to a goal. When Stephanie took a moment to look back at all of the things that she had done over the past few weeks, the set up of X-Pac, Kane, and Big Show, the great escape from the arena last night, and even her actions of just a few moments ago, if she compared herself to Mark, on a somewhat lighter scale, Stephanie was no better than he was. She didn't like the feeling of knowing she had used people.

So yet again, Saphirra was absolutely right.

With her heart and conscience taking a pounding, Stephanie looked over to Saphirra, who, driving furiously, managed to wipe away her pink lipstick away from her lips, asking her, "Did you get the prescription?"

"Yes and no," Saphirra answered shortly.

"Yes and no?" Stephanie asked, confused.

"No, cause that was an out of state prescription. They attempted to contact your quack to make sure the damn thing was legitimate. Thing is, Greenwich is an hour ahead of us, so your doctor's office was closed."

"Oh," Stephanie said disappointedly. She really wanted and needed to start her prenatal regimen today. Now she'd have to wait another day.

"Yes, because the same pills so to speak the pharmacist managed to find OTC, so here."

Handing the Rite-Aid branded bag over to her, Stephanie reached inside the bag and brought out a brown bottle of prenatal supplements. There was a woman pictured on the front holding her rather large stomach. Stephanie couldn't imagine ever getting that big. Remembering photos of her mother when she was pregnant with both she and Shane, Linda was even quite large, with Stephanie really hoping that the size she would inevitably grow to wasn't genetic. Although tall, Stephanie was petite. She didn't relish in the fact that one day she might not be able to look down and see her feet.

Looking over to Saphirra, who was drinking a Sprite, feeling horrible, Stephanie murmured out, "Thank you."

Acknowledging Stephanie's apology with only a quick nod, never taking her eyes off the road, however, the two ladies drove silently back to Mark's ranch.

* * *

><p>After a rather uncomfortable drive of silence, Saphirra and Stephanie finally made it back to the ranch. Stephanie had somewhat cooled down since her talk with Saphirra, but now that she was actually back home, her readiness to confront Mark had reared its ugly head yet again. If he and Angel actually had an affair, then she wanted to know about it.<p>

She had already given Mark the benefit of the doubt after he admitted to rendezvous with those Bella and Dee Dee skanks, but if he previously had an affair with Angel, or was even having one with her now, her entire world would be rocked. And despite loving Mark dearly, she was not going to stay around to allow a man to willingly cheat on her, whether he was a professional athlete or not.

Walking back into the house in a fury, Stephanie began calling Mark name's as soon as she opened the hardwood doors. She needed answers, she wanted closure. Was she truly in a loveless, one-way marriage?

Saphirra, however, sensing trouble, went her separate way, back to the bedroom, while Stephanie, still calling her husband's name, descended upon the stairs. She was furious.

What if he was honest with her and told her the truth? What if they had an affair while she was away in Greenwich? She could never forgive herself or Mark. There truly could be no reconciling after this.

_"But then I'll be a single mother? A statistic. Should I contemplate abortion if that happens? I'm not even ready to be a married mother let alone a single one!"_

Continuing to call his name, she finally heard him yell out "Yeah", with his voice trailing from the master bedroom. Pushing open the bedroom door forcefully, Stephanie maintained that she would remain civilized no matter what, confronting her husband in a delicate tone, since this was obviously a delicate subject, but once she actually laid eyes upon Mark, who had his back turned to her, she became irrationally upset all over again.

Walking up behind her now, as Mark asked her, "Did you get everything you need?", Stephanie found the strength within her to grab her husband's arm and turn him around forcefully to meet her hot gaze.

_"How could he do this to us?!"_

Surprised by not only Stephanie's sheer strength, but confused as to why she was looking at him with eyes that could kill, Mark replied shockingly, "The hell's wrong with you?"

"You want to know what's wrong with me? I'll tell you what's wrong with me. Mark, you bastard, you cheated on me!"

Her anger was uncontrollable. After pushing him away from her, as hard as she could, she then reached up and slapped the black baseball cap right off the top of her husband's head, completely catching him off guard! He couldn't believe what he was hearing! How had she come this conclusion?

Holding an irate Stephanie by both arms, Mark then yelled, "Whoa! Wait a damn minute! Cheated on you? Woman, you mind telling me what the hell's this all about?"

Attempting to free herself from her grasp, Stephanie, with her hair flying all over the place, spat back, "You know damn well what's this all about!"

"No, I don't and if you don't start giving me some God damn answers soon, you'll find out who's really mad," Mark threatened.

He was quite used to be accused of things. In wrestling, he was accused of being this monster, this evil bastard, and he had become accustomed to it, because most things people accused him of were true. But being accused of cheating on his wife, from his own Stephanie, no less, was crossing a line that he didn't think she would dare cross again, especially after the last argument they had.

"I saw your jezebel today, _Mr. _Calaway!" Stephanie shouted, as Mark continued to hold her by the arms effortlessly. She hated that he was so much stronger than her. If he wasn't, then there was no telling what she might do to him if he confessed to her fears.

_"I'll just leave and never come back. That'll be the ultimate blow!"_

"Jezebel? What jezebel? Stephanie, you better start talking," Mark ordered. If he was being accused of something, he at least wanted the option to clear his name, but yet, Stephanie wasn't providing a clear cut answer to anything. She was just sprouting off things, and it was pissing him off.

"Don't play stupid Mark! Angel, the attorney!" Stephanie mocked. "That's the jezebel I'm referring to."

"I ain't playing and what about Angel? What about her being a jezebel?"

Successfully yanking free from him, her hair astray, Stephanie answered almost too calmly, "I saw Angel today while out shopping in town. We got into a huge blowup because I told her to stay the hell out of our affairs. Then she said that you two may have had your own 'affair'. Mark, be honest with me. Did you sleep with her or not?"

Having to compose himself and his thought process, Mark mentally began to curse worse than a drunk sailor ever could. He couldn't believe that Angel, a woman that he trusted immensely, despite her promiscuous ways, had blabbed to Stephanie about them having sex! Stephanie mentioned something about the two of them having an argument, but Angel just flat out admitting that the two of them had engaged in more than their share of flings throughout the years did not scream Angel Scott to him.

_"I know she likes to drink, but was she drunk?" _Mark wondered intimately. Something just was not adding up to him.

While it was true that Mark and Angel, throughout the number of years that they had known each other, had engaged in more sex than Mark could count on both hands, Angel was only occasional fuck, nothing more, nothing less. And up until recently, that is what he liked about her the most.

Angel knew and respected the rules of the game just as much, if not more than he did. They engaged in safe sex, there was no pressure of commitment from either one of them, since Angel was "happily married", and they managed to keep both their sexual and business relationships separate. Up until Mark met Stephanie, Angel truly was a dream woman.

After all, Mark was a known bachelor. He liked having the option to sleep around if he wanted to, and he didn't discriminate, either. Over the years, Mark had multiple affairs with multiple women, married or not. He had an awesome array of sexual partners, from Caucasians to African Americans to Latinas, and even a few Asians here and there; he had no true preferences for his women, other than being young and somewhat naive. Women were better to manipulate that way, as was Stephanie too early on.

Angel was a deviation of the norm, however. She was smart, successful, in her early 30s, and she could be quite vicious when she wanted to be. But Angel never connected with him like Stephanie had.

Stephanie's innocence and breaking through that was both a challenge and a thrill for him. Sure, he had done this to plenty of other women in the past, loving them one day and leaving them the next, but it was just something about Stephanie that made him _want_ to be faithful, and he never wanted to be faithful.

He had stopped being the man-whore that he knew he was just in order to stay committed to this woman, and now, after he had already sworn that he'd never cheat on her, here she was, yet again, accusing him of having cheating, this time with Angel?

Both women, Angel and Stephanie, would have to straightened out after all was said and done, but since Stephanie was the one who was immediately in front of him, she'd have to be first.

Looking down at Stephanie, who was looking back up at him with a look that he had never seen before, not even when she accused him of having sex with Saphirra, Mark attempted to rationalize with her.

"Steph, I've already told you that I'd never cheat on you. Me and Angel ain't never had sex," he lied. He knew that he couldn't tell her the truth, especially in the mood she was in at the moment, and if all went well, then he'd never have to divulge that bit of information, either.

Sex with Angel was just that, sex, and she came years before Mark had even set his sights on Stephanie. And that to him is that's all that really mattered.

"I ain't never had sex with Angel, I ain't never touched Angel, I don't want Angel; never have and never will. How is that so hard for you to comprehend?"

"Oh, so now I'm stupid? Is that it?" Stephanie demanded. She was already upset as it was, she didn't need her husband insulting her intelligence, as well.

"I would hope your daddy didn't waste good money sending you to college for nothing, but the way you're talking …"

"Well, if I'm so stupid, why don't I leave then?"

Turning to leave as quickly as she could, feeling the cold that she promised herself she wouldn't shed running down her face, Stephanie felt Mark grab her from behind by the waist, pulling her back to him. Angel had obviously said something to upset her other than the affair stuff, and he needed to find out what … then he'd deal with Angel.

Holding her by the hips, Mark, placing his lips by her ear, then said softly, "Steph, look, ok. If I hurt your feelings, I apologize, but you're talking crazy. You're talking and you're acting crazy."

"No, Mark, if you cheated on me while I was in Greenwich and you expect me to stay, you're the one who's crazy," Stephanie managed, getting choked up as she continued to cry silently, the boulder sized lump inside of her throat making it exceptionally hard to talk at the moment.

Sitting on the edge the bed, Mark pulled Stephanie down onto his knee, turning her face to meet his with an incredibly delicate tug of the cheek. Normally, he would have blown a gasket when he was being falsely accused of something, but he didn't want this semi-can of worms to open up anymore than it already had. He needed to get a clear understanding with Stephanie. He couldn't afford for her to find out about he and Angel, so he had to control his temper.

"Steph, listen. Ok? Stop and listen," Mark said, as Stephanie, sighing heavily, stared back at him. She was pissed and he knew it, but she needed to calm down in order to to gain a full understanding of his words.

"I ain't laid a finger on one soul outside of you from the moment we've been married, and the time I did, I told you about. I don't apologize for shit, you know that; I do something, I own up to it with pleasure. Why do you think I had sex with Angel? Tell me what she said."

Sighing, Stephanie, exhausted all over again, explained, "Mark, when I saw her out today at this strip mall, after she she told you to leave me, I went after her. We got into a huge fight, not physical, just words. Saphirra broke it up …"

"So you're telling me that Saphirra was right there and she allowed all that to go down?" Mark asked angrily, upset that yet again, Saphirra, who at one point had become the most faithful member of the Ministry, was now turning out to be more of a disappointment than anything.

_"Strike two."_

"No, no, Mark, it was nothing like that," Stephanie attempted to explain. Saphirra had already risked enough of herself for Stephanie, and she definitely did not want her getting into further trouble for Stephanie's latest mistake.

"Don't take it out on her. She was in one of the stores when it all started. I'm the one who spotted Angel."

"But she's never supposed to leave your side," Mark reminded. Whenever he entrusted Saphirra with the well-being of his wife, unless it was for food, Saphirra was never supposed to leave Stephanie alone, especially now since she was in Houston and didn't know her way around. He had also invited her into his home, unwillingly so, allowed her to drive one of his vehicles, and now, she couldn't even follow simple instructions? That was a slap in the face to him.

"Mark, I am an adult. Plus, I asked her to go inside this particular store for me. I wasn't up for the walk," Stephanie lied.

"Yeah, ok," Mark added, still feeling that Saphirra had let her guard down and had failed to do as ordered yet again. She too would have to face the consequences of her actions, of course, at a later date. At the moment, his focus was solely on Stephanie.

"Anyway, I saw her … I actually bumped into her on purpose. She called me _Ms_. McMahon and said she was glad to see me," she recalled vividly.

It suddenly dawned on Stephanie that Angel, along with attempting to possibly sabotage her marriage, was never a fan of her's. Besides the dirty looks Stephanie was convinced Angel gave her after they first met, why would Angel refer to her as "Ms. McMahon"?

Realizing that she was making herself upset all over again thinking about that horrid woman, Stephanie continued, "To make a long story short, I told her to stay out of our business; she insisted that she was only trying to help. One thing led to another, and after I told her again to stay out of your personal affairs, that's when she said, 'Oh, Stephanie. Silly, silly Stephanie. If only you knew what other _affairs_ I've had,' … I wanted to strangle her!" Stephanie nearly shouted, imitating Angel perfectly, which honestly drew a snicker out of Mark.

Now that Mark had somewhat accessed the situation better, he honestly thought this entire situation was comical. He knew Stephanie was working herself up over nothing, and he loved it when she was angry like this. It turned him on in the worst possible way.

"Mark, you know just as well as I do that she was implicating something sexual happened between the two of you," Stephanie said bluntly. "I lost it. Saphirra ran out, saw everything that was going on, broke us up, and we came home."

"So that's how you came to the conclusion that me and Angel are fucking?" Mark asked boldly, the expletive rolling off the tip of his tongue with ease, as Stephanie's cheek began to turn bright pink. She had done her fair share of cursing today, as well, but for some reason, Mark's play on words always got the better of her.

"Mark, I'm not stupid. I know what she meant!" Stephanie found herself near shouting again, balling up the both of her fists, upset. Angel had crossed a major line that she should have never crossed, and Stephanie wanted to make her pay in every way imaginable.

"Stephanie, the one thing you have to know about Mrs. Scott is …"

"She's _married_?" Stephanie interrupted. If Angel was so married, Stephanie wondered, then why was she so concerned about she and Mark's relationship? Didn't she have her own to be engaged with?

"Yes, Stephanie," Mark answered gently, moving Stephanie's hair away from her face, placing it behind her ear, as his thumb made the slightest contact with her skin, causing Stephanie to close her eyes for a moment. Mark knew every last button to push with Stephanie, and the more he distracted her, the quicker they could move on from this conversation.

"She's married and has been for many years, probably for about as long as I've known her," Mark explained gently.

"Oh … well … marriage doesn't stop a person from cheating, Mark," Stephanie rushed, attempting to think of something to say.

_"I know. She should just ask Vince and Sable about that."_

"True," Mark agreed, as he wrapped his arms around Stephanie, who honestly looked like she was going on a guilt trip. Mark could tell that she felt bad now for accusing him of fooling around. "But Steph, Angel is an attorney. Her name might be heavenly, but she certainly isn't."

"Tell me about it," Stephanie added sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she went.

Chuckling under his breath, Mark continued.

"Angel's used to inciting a reaction out of people. She does it all day, everyday, and she's quite good at it, which is why I hire her. Who's to say why she said what she said. Other than to piss you off, I don't know, but Stephanie, I'll never do anything to hurt you on purpose. Get your that through that thick skull of your's," Mark said honestly, as he poked Stephanie lightly across the side of her temple.

"How would you like it if I came home and accused you of fucking Test?" he poised to Stephanie.

"Who, Andrew?" Stephanie shot astonishingly, her cheeks flaring up yet again with rosiness.

"Yes, Andrew," Mark mocked Stephanie, as she softly giggled. "Every time you come around, he starts drooling at the mouth, looking like a lost and sick puppy dog, following you around."

Giggling even more, Stephanie said, "Mark, that's different. Andrew is a friend. There would never be anything between us," she stated matter of factly.

It was true, Test did have a huge crush on her, and he was even bold enough to ask Stephanie out on a date last year right before the New Year, but Stephanie declined out of respect for her father. Test was a member of the Corporation, and Vince was adamant about Stephanie not dating the talent. He didn't want to convolute business with pleasure.

"Exactly, the same thing we me and Angel," Mark noted, as he ran his hand softly around Stephanie's jawbone. "She's my lawyer, Stephanie, that's it. Alright?"

Nodding, having guilt wreck her conscience for the second time today, Stephanie lowered her eyes to her fidgeting hands. First Saphirra, now Mark?

_"I've really got to get in control of myself. Maybe it's the hormones,"_ she thought to herself.

Lifting her eyes back to face his, Mark, kissing Stephanie lightly about the lips, then offered, "But, I will talk to Angel about keeping her nose clean when it comes to us, alright? She's just overprotective. _Too_ overprotective it seems."

Biting her lower lip and nodding slowly, Mark finally said, "So let this be the last conversation we have like this, alright?"

Kissing alongside her neck and jawline, Stephanie nodded her compliance yet again. She knew that she was wrong for accusing Mark of cheating on her, but she didn't know what to expect after Angel made that comment.

Stephanie had been around the wrestling business long enough to know that as professional athletes, traveling from city to city, state to state all the time, temptation was everywhere.

Women … and men … would do things to incite a reaction out of the superstars, some for good, some for bad. And the pressure to have sex with every pretty young thing that walked up in a short skirt was tremendous. Many of the talent would cheat on their unsuspecting spouses all the times. The dating atmosphere between co-workers was also very prevalent.

Just a few years ago, the locker room was abuzz with rumors that Shawn Michaels and Sunny were having a sexual relationship, right under Chris Candido's, Sunny's boyfriend's, nose. She had even personally seen interactions between Shawn and Sunny which would suggest that something was amiss between the two.

Stephanie, although she knew she shouldn't have falsely accused Mark of adultery, did not want to become the next Chris Candido. She was guilty, and she felt bad about all of this, sure, but she'd rather be safe than sorry any day of the week.

Turning her attention back to her husband, Stephanie then turned her body's to Mark, straddling him, while his hands immediately went for the cups of her ass. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Stephanie, while it appeared as if she were going to begin kissing her husband, suddenly grabbed Mark around the throat.

Shocked by his wife's bravado, Mark watched nearly in awe as Stephanie slowly pushed him back down onto the bed. Raising her forefinger to his eye level, Stephanie, still with her hand's around her husband's neck then not so playfully warned, "Mark, if you ever hurt me …" Then, trailing her hand down her husband's body, while she still had firm control of his neck, gripped his manhood through his pants, saying, "… I'll cut your balls off," while giving a Saphirre-esque smile. When she thought about it, she had learned a lot from Saphirra, especially the art of invoking one's inner crazy.

Blinking rapidly, surprised by Stephanie's 180 degree turn, Mark, turned on, loving how Stephanie was almost taking control of him for a change, then whispered politely, as if he were truly intimidated, "Yes, ma'am." Bending down to kiss him now, Stephanie retained control over Mark's body.

After kissing him passionately, Stephanie, reprising her role from last night, while on her hands and knees in the bed, made love to her husband's penis with her mouth. Although the taste of cum was still very new to her, she loved the feeling of being able to control Mark with just a few simple tongue strokes. Plus, much to her good-girl chagrin, she _liked_ tasting her husband; she liked him being in her mouth.

And since Stephanie was in control, she dictated the pace tonight. She wanted to make love to her husband, not have sex, not fuck. Climbing on top of him, even though this was Stephanie's first time ever being on top with Mark still being in control, she lowered her body slowly on top of his, rotating her hips painstakingly slow, then steadily, as her breasts fell up and down with precision, bouncing up and down upon Mark's rock hard shaft, as Stephanie began crying out from the pleasure of it all.

Knowing his wife was overdue for an orgasm still, even though he wasn't initially inclined to give her one, Mark, gripping Stephanie around the waist with a huge forearm, suddenly began taking control yet again, much as he had done from the previous night. Pumping into her quickly now, his thrusts pounding her from the outside in, Stephanie, arching her back, feeling a tidal wave like explosion washing all over her body, from the tips of her toes all the way back up, suddenly tightened her entire body.

With her body quivering, her lips shaking uncontrollably, Stephanie nearly let out a warrior like cry, finally getting the release that she needed, but Mark drowned out her screams by placing his lips onto her, pumping into her only one last time, dumping himself into her.

Stephanie was shaking violently. No matter how many times she thought she could experience an orgasm, she never quite understood how it could completely leave her body spent nor why. It was intense.

After laying on her husband's chest for more than a few moments, Mark placed Stephanie on the side of him in the bed. He didn't fully realize that other than both of their tops being removed, from the bottom down, they were still partially clothed. Removing Stephanie's clothing gently, throwing them on the side of the bed, Mark, completely naked, kissing Stephanie as he went, military pressed himself on top of her body, although she was barely able to lift a leg around his hips she was so gone.

Helping to keep Stephanie's leg in place, about to re-enter her, since his sexual appetite had yet to be filled, Mark turned his head quickly to the knock that came at the door, while Stephanie, although exhausted, nearly shot up in the bed. Feeling devilish, knowing it could only be one person, Mark yelled through the door, "It's open!"

Before Stephanie, with her mouth agape, her eyes wide with shock, could even protest, Saphirra, pushing the door open, walked through it saying, "Master, I found your cell phone out by the patio and I thought that I'd …"

Saphirra, stopping dead in her tracks at the scene in front of her, with her own mouth ajar, while Stephanie looked on with a look of horror on her face, getting caught in the middle of the act, slowly shook her head wildly, leaving just as quickly as she entered. Mark's face, however, was laced with sinister delight. He was a professional wrestler; he had been seen in the buff more times than he could ever recall, and seeing the look on Saphirra's face was well worth the risk.

Looking back down at Stephanie, who was still in shock by what Mark had done, blatantly allowing Saphirra to catch an eyeful of both of their naked bodies, more so his than her's, Mark, kissing Stephanie on the lips casually, said, "Come on, let's get dressed."

As Mark lifted himself from the bed, parading around the room completely naked, Stephanie, barely able to sit up, managed, "M-m-Mark, where are we going?"

Suddenly, swooping Stephanie up from the bed, walking her into the bathroom, before planting her down besides the glass shower door, Mark replied definitively, "Out."

* * *

><p>Mark had it in his mind that he and Stephanie would go into town tonight to catch some fresh air. He wanted to show her around to one of his favorite bar spots, and he needed to clear his mind a bit from all the things gong on with him personally and professionally, from the upcoming funeral to Shawn Michaels screwing Austin.<p>

Mark was never an Internet nut. To be honest, he didn't even know how to use the Internet, but when John was here, he filled Mark in about how all the smart marks and dirt sheets like Dave Meltzer were accusing him of having an in with HBK, and that couldn't be any further from the truth, although to Meltzer's credit, he did say that he found the pairing of a Taker-Michaels bond unlikely.

Mark could not stand that whiny little brat Shawn, and in truth, despite him retaining his World Wrestling Federation title, he was pissed at Shawn for interfering. He didn't want HBK's help, didn't ask for HBK's help, and didn't need HBK's help, either. Sure, he had made a deal with Hunter, since he wanted to eliminate Austin from the title picture all together, but Mark felt backstabbed now. Triple H hadn't told him about a damn thing about Shawn.

From the looks of things, with Michaels, Hemsley, and Chyna all back together again, their little "Kliq", Degeneration-X, could be reformed, but in truth, Mark honestly didn't give a damn. He would literally mow over any man to keep the strap around his waist, and come next Monday, someone was going to have a whole lot of answers for him.

Stephanie, after showering, changed into new attire, something modern, just for 1999. After curling her hair yet again and pinning it back with two cute mini pink clamps, she, against her better judgment, decided to forgo a bra, wearing a turquoise spaghetti strap tank top, leather pants, and black leather high heeled sandals. Mark wore his signature all black outfit, complete with a black baseball cap, with a hint of color sticking out with a red bandana covering his hair, as well. But once he actually got an eyeful of Stephanie, he began whistling at her, causing her to blush all over again.

Wrapping his arms around her again, Mark, kissing at the side of her face, replied, "Now _this_ is the woman I love to see."

It was after this, however, where Stephanie had a hard time convincing Mark that Saphirra should come along with them. In Mark's mind, not only had Saphirra disobeyed him twice, but along with staying in his home, driving his truck, and getting a pristine shot of his ass, she should be obliged just to still be within his good graces.

Stephanie argued, however, that she didn't feel comfortable leaving Saphirra all alone at home, especially when they were going out to have a good time, forcing her to stay behind.

"Plus, Mark," Stephanie contended. "It's dangerous out here all alone for a woman. What if someone trespasses or something?"

Mark had a definite answer for Stephanie's question. Walking over to the end table by his side of the bed, Mark, pulling a drawer open, retrieved a black handgun, frightening Stephanie to death! Other than the ones on law enforcement, Stephanie had never seen a gun close up, and the sight of Mark holding one was enough for her to slowly back away into the bathroom. She wanted nothing to do with a loaded six-shot of death.

"A man can never be too safe," Mark asserted, placing the gun back in the confines of the dresser, while Stephanie's dilated pupils let on that she was highly terrified.

After regaining self-control over her body after seeing Mark's gun, it took Stephanie another ten minutes or so to convince him to allow Saphirra to come along on their night on the town, as well. He felt that he must have been getting soft, because in the end, he caved to Stephanie's wishes, but warned her dearly "You're going to pay for this later."

Running downstairs and into the basement, Stephanie found herself knocking on Saphirra's door again, before she heard a nearly non-existent "Come in." After walking into the room, Stephanie found herself, similarly to Saphirra, who was hiding behind a Batman comic book, suddenly flooded with embarrassment. Ryan had seen Stephanie naked before, but to catch her right in the middle of something as special as romance was not easy for her to get over.

While she was sure Saphirra was thankful that the knocks from the other side of the door hadn't turned out to be Mark's, the both of them had a really hard time formulating sentences with actual words. It was an awkward scene indeed.

"Saphirra," Stephanie started after a nearly two minute silence between the two. She honestly just didn't know what to say, so she thought that she'd start by apologizing first. "Look, I'm really sorry you … you know …"

"Walked in on you guys having sex?" Saphirra finished from behind the comic book, turning a page.

"Yeah …" Stephanie stammered. This was turning out a lot harder than she initially thought. "I mean … I know … you … you know …"

"Stephanie," Saphirra cut off, finally pulling her comic down from her face, looking up at Stephanie from the bed. "Much like Harley Quinn … you do know who Harley Quinn is, right?"

"No," Stephanie answered truthfully.

_"Does she mean Harlequin? Like the romance novels with Fabio on the cover?"_

"Well, anyway," Saphirra said. "Much like Harley here, while I may have a thing for Hybristophilia, you know, the bad boys, without the aspects of murder, of course, I never envisioned seeing a scenario like that ever in my life. So, be that as it may, let's just pretend like what happened upstairs never happened."

Nodding, somewhat lost about the Hybristophilia comparison, Stephanie then asked Saphirra to come into town with she and Mark. She honestly thought that getting Saphirra to come along would be a cinch, since Saphirra seemingly loved Mark to no end, but after walking in on both of them earlier, Saphirra had no desire to be in her master's presence whatsoever. She didn't even know how she could even face him after that.

It honestly took Stephanie another fifteen minutes, added with the random ramblings of Saphirra, to convince her to finally come along, which pleased Stephanie to no end. On top of her not wanting to leave her all alone, Stephanie truly did feel as if she owed Saphirra an apology for her actions as of late, and she felt that by bringing her out with she and Mark could be her extended way of apologizing.

Stephanie estimated that she must have stayed in her room for almost another half an hour when she decided to walk back upstairs, to where she found Mark, waiting impatiently in the foyer, looking at the clock on the wall. It was only eight o'clock, however, Mark, forever restless, wanted to leave as soon as possible. Walking over and wrapping her arms around her husband, looking up at him, Mark, looking down at Stephanie, who was clearly attempting to distract him from the time, said, "If she's not up here in five minutes, we're leaving."

Just as soon as Stephanie was ready to protest, Saphirra, looking the most different that she had ever looked, entered the room. Her persona was still dark, since that obviously wasn't going to change about her, but seeing her in regular clothing again just wowed Stephanie.

Saphirra wore a black leather vest, sans a bra, which showed off just enough ample cleavage and her bare midriff. She also wore dark jeans, paired with studded leather belt, black leather platform boots, paired with an O-ring choker around her neck, and silver hoop earrings. Her makeup had even changed. While black eyeliner was drawn heavily around the outside of her lids, a pretty pink eyeshadow offset the heaviness of this. She was also wearing the same color lipstick. Even her hair, black as the night outside, was more voluminous, with extra body to it.

In short, she looked quite stunning. Even Mark was at a loss of words. He had never seen her look about as normal as she could possibly could. Quickly regaining his focus, as time continuously slipped away, he asked both ladies, "You ready?"

Receiving a nod from both of them, Mark, being a gentleman, opened the door to the entrance, extending his hand in the direction of the outside, as both Stephanie and Saphirra followed suit. As Mark locked the door behind him, he slowly began to creep behind Saphirra, as Stephanie was oblivious, asking menacingly, "Who you all dressed up for?"

Saphirra, gulping, feeling a sinking feeling at the pit of her stomach, shook her head, revealing, "No one."

Mark, chuckling one, as he opened the door to his truck for Saphirra, then warned quietly, "Don't forget who it is you belong to."

Nodding only once, stepping inside the the truck, Saphirra remained quiet throughout the trip back into town.


	75. Three's Company (Part 2)

Mark would never allow Stephanie to enter a biker's joint such as The Bar with No Name without his direct supervision, but he felt that she should accompany him since he wanted to get out the house and he also wanted to help celebrate a once in a lifetime occasion for a close friend.

A play on words from Clint Eastwood's character in _The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly_, one of Mark's good friends, Larry Feldman, who owned The Bar with No Name, was celebrating the club's ten year anniversary, and Mark wanted to come out to show his support for the momentous occasion.

While he would never be mistaken for a party animal, preferring to grab a table, with a hefty bottle in hand, and watch the skirts fly by, he felt that since Stephanie held her own last time they went out to a bar together, up until she got drunk that is, that she wouldn't mind coming out with him tonight. He wanted to familiarize her more with what he attributed to be the _true_ Houston social scene and he wanted to help her to peel the good girl exterior off even more.

The only problem that he had with tonight's arrangement was the fact that he had allowed Saphirra to put a damper on his plans yet again.

The No Name bar was a biker's club, meaning all kinds of bikers, loners, gangs, etc., showed up there, and being that it was the club's big anniversary, Mark wanted to ride in on his own bike with his wife, as well. That all changed once he callously allowed Saphirra to tag along. She was a member of the Ministry, sure, but she was really starting to bug him, especially with her perceived actions as of late.

After arriving at No Name, the trio had a hell of a time finding a parking spot. Every square inch of the bar's parking lot was covered in motorcycles, from Harley Davidson's to Gold Wings to Yamaha's to Ducati's.

Mark ended up parking across the street from the bar which was used for extra parking, and even there the spaces were scarce. After finally finding one, Mark, grabbing Stephanie's hand in order to cross the busy intersection, turned his head slightly to find Saphirra thankfully keeping up behind them. He wasn't going to hold her hand, but he didn't want her to get hit by a car, either.

Walking ahead, no matter how many times Stephanie thought that she could be exposed to something, especially with Mark being into the same culture, she never thought that she would get used to seeing so many men and women in leather, dark jeans, piercings, and tattoos. This atmosphere went against everything that her nature back in Greenwich stood for. It still a huge culture shock for her.

She recalled how Mark jokingly one day asked if she would ever consider getting a tattoo or a piercing, but the idea simply revolted her. She couldn't even imagine going through the pain of getting a tattoo. Her earring piercings she received as a little girl hurt enough. Plus, she hated needles, so that ruled out all possibilities of that, as well. Her idea of edgy was definitely not sticking an ugly bumper sticker on a brand new Bentley.

But here, walking into the bar, there were several woman who looked just as rough and tough as some of their male counterparts, who had their own sets of piercings and tattoos, beers in hand, chewing tobacco, and performing in other sorts of dangerous narcotics that Stephanie had absolutely no interest in.

One particular woman, with long sweeping blonde hair slightly tucked underneath a black leather bandana, with tattoos tracing up from her wrist to her shoulder blade, walked up and gave Mark a huge hug. Obviously the two knew each other very well, since Mark actually greeted her back and returned the exchange.

As Stephanie looked back at Saphirra, who was rolling her eyes deeply at the scene, Mark turned around and began to introduce the blonde to her.

"Um, Steph," he said smiling, grabbing her about the waist, pulling her forward. "Steph, this is Carrie Ann. Carrie Ann, this is my wife, Stephanie."

"Oh, so you're Stephanie?" Carrie Ann asked, extending her hand. As Stephanie returned the gesture, the thickness of the smoke from a couple of nearby burning cigars began burning Stephanie's eyes, causing her to choke and cough hysterically. Waving her hands back and forth, Stephanie replied through coughs, "Yes. Stephanie. It's nice to meet you."

"Yeah," Carrie Ann said, looking over to Mark skeptically. Clearly in Carrie Ann's eyes, Stephanie wasn't up to speed with this particular bar nor was she up to speed with Mark's lifestyle, either. She intimately wondered why Mark chose such a Barbie Girl to be his new bride. He literally had women from around the state chomping at the bit to become Mrs. Calaway.

"And you are?" Carrie Ann asked, indicating Saphirra, extending her hand, as well.

Saphirra on the other hand, only returned the gesture with a quick smile, which looked forced, before saying quickly, "Going to get a drink," as she pushed past the group, walking to the bar, while Mark followed her around with his eyes. He'd have to deal with her and her attitude later.

After regaining her composure, Stephanie, Mark, and Carrie Ann talked for a while, and much like John, Stephanie learned a lot about Carrie Ann. Awkwardly, it was revealed that Mark used to date Carrie Ann's sister, Amy Jo. The two sisters, originally from Detroit, were part of a large all-female biker group, the Guilty Girlz Riding Club of Michigan.

Fortunately for Stephanie, Amy Jo, who had recently gotten married, was still away on her honeymoon, so she couldn't make No Name's tenth anniversary.

Mark, jokingly so, called Amy Jo's new husband "an unlucky son of a bitch."

Shortly after their conversation ended, Stephanie and Mark were lucky enough to find the only open table in the entire bar. After siting down, Stephanie began to quiz Mark about his former girlfriend.

"Amy Jo, is it?"

Chuckling, looking around for one of the many female servers to take his drink order, Mark replied, "Not this again."

"Not what again?" Stephanie asked, faking bewilderment. Stephanie had always been upfront with Mark about her ex-boyfriends, granted they were high school and college aged boys at the time. Mark, however, was more guarded with things and she always wondered why, especially if he had nothing to hide as he would always suggest.

Signaling over a waitress, who had half of her head shaved off, Mark put in his drink order: the usual Jack Daniels straight with no chaser for him, before proceeding to ask Stephanie about her choice of drink.

"A Sprite will do, thank you," Stephanie answered. Even if she could drink, she wouldn't. Remembering how she got hammered the first time she and Mark went out on the town, Stephanie felt as if she were going to die, and she never wanted to experience that again. Plus, she was pregnant. She couldn't drink.

Mark, waving his hands, then suggested that Stephanie get something light, ordering for her the spiked lemonade, but told the server to hold down as much as possible on the spike. That's when Stephanie's heart began racing a mile.

If she drank, then she'd be risking he health of her unborn baby, but she didn't want Mark to think that she was attempting to act stuck up. She liked being in his company, and she knew how Mark could get when he perceived how someone was not living up to his stringent expectations.

The drinks came as quickly as they ordered them, and after the waitress placed them down upon the table, Stephanie, attempting to jog time, leaned up and asked, "So what happened between you and Amy Jo?"

"Steph, you're one jealous woman," Mark said, putting the glass to his lips.

"I think I have every right to be. Don't you think I notice all the strange stares I've gotten since we first walked in? As soon as I leave, they'll be all over you."

"First, you're new around here. Two, you don't really fit the mold," Mark replied honestly.

"You don't say?" Stephanie asked sarcastically.

No Name was not a bar for strangers, especially if they couldn't handle their own so to speak.

There were a lot of lawless, outlaw bikers who called No Name home, and they were very

protective of their spot. They didn't like newcomers. Either they were perceived to be a threat by being an undercover agent or police officer, ready to perform some sort of sting or drug bust, or they felt that the newcomer was attempting to show the veteran bikers up if they didn't partake in certain activities or act a certain way. It was the way of the land around here, and that went for Stephanie, as well.

Had she came here all by herself, she'd be eaten alive. Mark on the other hand was a regular; people knew and respected him. No one was going to bother her as long as she stuck close.

"I do say," Mark answered, taking a big gulp of his Jack Daniels. "But, ok, if it'll make you take a sip of your drink, what is that you want to know about Amy?"

"Well, you guys dated. Her sister said so. Why'd you break up?"

"The travel," he answered honestly.

"Oh," Stephanie responded shortly. Because Mark was so private, she never knew that he too had become a victim of the WWF's grueling traveling schedule.

"Steph, you know that when you're on the road 300 days a year, that don't make the woman back at home particularly too happy."

"Yeah, I know," she answered. No one was invincible to this, not even her own mother.

Both Linda and Vince were beginning to get up in age, and Linda seriously wanted the couple to consider their retirement opinions, but Vince, a self-described workaholic, would have none of this.

Linda would sometimes even beg her father to take a break from the company, since Vince, up until recently, traveled with the WWF on all of their shows, whether it was domestically or internationally. His one rarity was showing up to house shows, but even so, Linda still felt her husband was working entirely too much.

She had even tried in vain to convince Vince of allowing Shane, Patterson, Briscoe, and the other WWF officials to operate the company in his absence. Vince, however, who never wanted to take a vacation, declined, forcing Linda to stay at home as much as the other wives, girlfriends, and boyfriends of the superstars and Divas did. Stephanie would miss her father greatly, as well.

It wasn't until Mark began stalking her that she started traveling on the road with Vince and Shane regularly, otherwise, she was back home in Greenwich with her mother, and she knew entirely all too well about Linda's feelings of Vince traveling with the company so much.

"So, that's what happened," Mark explained, not wanting to go further into the conversation. For him, Amy Jo was old news. They hadn't spoken to each other in years. Plus, they were both married now, so in Mark's eyes, there really wasn't too much to talk about.

"Did you love her?" Stephanie asked point blankly.

"That's a strange question," Mark said, leaning his arm back in chair, studying Stephanie. He didn't know where she was going with all of this. He was married to her, not Amy Jo, so why did she care so much, unless she still had thoughts about Mark cheating on her.

"How's it strange?"

"I think you already know how it's strange, _Mrs_. Calaway," Mark reminded Stephanie subtly.

Stephanie merely shook her head, rolling her eyes in response.

Carrie Ann revealed earlier in their conversation that Mark and Amy Jo were together for at least two years before their breakup. And here Mark was, years later, still not able to admit that he loved any woman.

_"If they were together for that long, and he still can't admit it, what does that say about me, and I haven't been around for nearly as long?" _

Stephanie found that the more time she spent with Mark, the move she fell in love with him. By everything he had done to her and her family, she shouldn't have, but she couldn't stop her feelings for this man. She would appreciate it if Mark would also express himself to her more vaguely — by saying that he loved her.

_"Why is that so hard for him? Did Amy Jo break his heart of something? Is she the reason why Mark refuses to acknowledge that he loves me? Or is this truly his overall persona, the one I agreed to put up with?"_

"So, I answered the question," Mark started, tipping his head down in the direction of Stephanie's spiked lemonade glass. "So, bottoms up, Princess," he said, holding up his own glass in a toasting motion.

What was Stephanie going to do? She could excuse herself by going to the restroom, but Mark would know that she was stalling. And Mark could be a genuine prick when he wanted to be. While away in the restroom, the ice probably would have melted into the glass, watering the drink down, and right as she'd sit back down, he would have ordered her a fresh one.

Picking up the glass and placing it to her lips, admitting to herself that she was only going to take a tiny sip, Stephanie was suddenly stopped by Saphirra, who walked over to the table, sitting her own glass down upon it. Whispering something in Stephanie's ear, before retracting from the table, Stephanie gave off an embarrassed giggle, before revealing to Mark, who was looking at her sideways, "The price tag from my shirt is sticking out."

Ripping off the price tag, which read $29.99, from the back of her tank top, Stephanie then grabbed her glass again, and with a small sip, tasted her spiked lemonade, which surprisingly to her, tasted exactly like lemonade. Either the bartender truly did go extra light on the spike or this truly was …

Looking around the bar for Saphirra, finding her sitting alone at an adjacent table, close enough to still be in ear shot of the couple in the very loud bar, Stephanie met the eyes of her, as Saphirra returned a quick wink.

Stephanie was elated! She realized that while her tag may have been on the outside of her shirt, that was only a decoy; Saphirra had apparently switched the drinks between the two, so while Stephanie was drinking pure lemonade, Saphirra was now downing the spiked one!

Drinking more from the glass now, Stephanie returned the it to the table nearly half empty, much to Mark's surprise. Mark, then turning his attention to Saphirra, as she sipped her own drink from the table near them, watched as a middle-aged man, short, stocky, with plenty of tattoos covering his arms and head, similar to Bam Bam Bigelow, wearing a biker vest belonging to the Texas Bandidos, walked over to Saphirra, licking his lips profusely.

Fine tuning his hearing, Mark watched as the man leaned over onto Saphirra's table, while she seemingly paid no attention to him. Slapping his beer down hard next to her, the unnamed man asked, "You into action movies?"

Saphirra, never taking her eyes off the scene directly in front of her, replied swiftly. "No."

Chuckling, rubbing his long salt and pepper beard, the man asked yet again, seemingly drunk, "You into romance … yeah … you in romance movies?"

"No." Saphirra asked again, watching a neon Budweiser sign flicker between red and white, promoting the company's brand of beer.

"Well, um," he said, licking his lips yet again, this time at Saphirra's open cleavage. "Let me buy you another drink. You damn finished with that one."

"No."

Chuckling, Mark returned his attention back to Stephanie. It was clear that Saphirra didn't want to be bothered by the man's attention, and Stephanie almost felt compelled to do something about all of this. Mark's line of questioning distracted her from that.

"Do you think she's …" he started, cutting his words off shortly, rotating his eyes around quickly, as he placed his dark sunglasses he was also wearing into the upper part of his head.

"Do I think she's …?" Stephanie asked bewilderedly, confused by what exactly Mark was attempting to indicate.

"You know …" Rocking his hand back and forth while downing the rest of his drink, Stephanie finally got the message Mark was trying to send.

"You want to know if she's gay?"

Shrugging his shoulders playfully, Mark replied, "You said it not me."

Laughing, Stephanie took another swig from her own glass. Mark would have to blind not to realize Saphirra's infatuation for him. After all, why would he invite her into their bedroom right in the middle of them about to have sex? He obviously was teasing her for whatever reason.

"Mark, she's not gay. You of all people should know that," Stephanie countered, tilting her head at her husband, as Mark shrugged casually.

"And why should I know that?" Mark asked, leaning up over the table at Stephanie, looking at her intently. Returning the move, coming near nose to nose with him, Stephanie replied, "Mark, I already think you know why."

"I mean, hell, she could be. Whatever makes her boat float," Mark answered almost comically, still staring at Stephanie. He honestly didn't care if Saphirra was a lesbian or not. He only wanted her to perform her job as a member of the Ministry to the highest degree possible, and she was beginning to even fail at that. He knew that punishment would soon be inevitable.

"So why do you think she's a lesbian, Mark?" Stephanie asked with increasing interest. The mind of Mark Calaway could be interesting indeed, and if he knew something that Stephanie didn't, she wanted in on it, as well.

"Ok," he said again, twisting his forefinger around a tress of Stephanie's curly brown hair. "I'll let you in on a little secret."

"Ok …" Stephanie said inquisitively, attempting to spur the conversation forward.

"When Saphirra first got in the Ministry, I guess to avoid her family or however that shit went, she roomed with Christian. After ya'll two got into that fight, but you're so chummy now …"

"Mark," Stephanie called, rolling her eyes, moving her husband's hand away from her hair. She didn't want to think about that night. She was still embarrassed as all hell about that even taking place, and she and Saphirra were somewhat in a good place at the moment. She simply wanted for the past to remain just there, in the past.

"Anyway," he continued, much to Stephanie's delight. "Christian was the one who came to her rescue after all that."

"Ok … so …"

"He likes her. _Liked_ her," he quickly corrected. "She never gave him the time of day."

"Gee … I wonder why," Stephanie taunted. There was no way in hell that Mark did not know that Saphirra had feelings for him. Everyone around them were aware of this fact, as well. She would like to think that highest order of Ministry was not as obtuse as he seemed ignorant.

Rolling his eyes, Mark then explained, "Well, the night I won the title, since she got kicked in the stomach by Austin, Christian went to her room to check on her."

"So what happened?"

"I think he tried to kiss her," Mark taunted himself now, not divulging all of the details of what happened between Christian and Saphirra, which was driving Stephanie up a wall. She just had to know what happened.

"Mark, come on," Stephanie said forcefully, her voice rising. She was a sucker for juicy gossip. And here he was keeping valuable information from her? "Do you want me to beg or something?"

Realizing she shouldn't have asked that particular question, as Mark got a devilish gleam in his eye, he replied, "Yeah, I'd love to hear you beg."

Forcing a gulp from her, as her eyes traveled back down to the table, a blush yet again showering her entire face, Mark finally said then, "But, that'll have to wait. Anyway, she bit the shit out of him, right in the face."

With her blush suddenly leaving her face, Stephanie's eyes quickly shot back over to Saphirra, who was still trying to ignore the biker as much as possible.

"She bit Christian?! In the face?!" Stephanie asked in shock, grabbing her own. Saphirra could be rabid, no doubt about it, but to bite someone … in the face no less was nearly inhumane!

Nodding, laughing a small bit, obviously getting somewhat of a kick out of the fact that Christian had to nurse a swollen nose for three days straight after that, Mark answered, "After that, Christian doesn't seem to want her anymore."

Before Stephanie could even ask further about this incident, wanting to know what truly lead up to the bite in the face, her attention was called back to the table, where the drunk biker was still trying to woo Saphirra. Knowing how Saphirra had a tendency to bite people now, Stephanie felt that it would be best if the enigmatic biker attempted to take some other girl home tonight. Obviously Saphirra wasn't interested, but he, in his leather vest and dark jeans, pressed on anyway.

"I'm big into big motion picture _flicks_," the biker revealed, licking his teeth, while Saphirra continued to ignore him. "You might like to share … or make one … with me … in my room … at home."

Rubbing his hand over hairy chest, since he negated to add a shirt under his vest, apparently turned on from the sight of Saphirra alone, the biker then callously rubbed his hand alongside the swell of Saphirra's breast, forcing her finally to look down at his hand, which was trailing back up her body, and back up to him.

Cocking an eyebrow at him, clearly not impressed with his actions, the biker, noting the dismayed look on Saphirra's face, holding his hands into the air, cried, "Oh, please. Forgive me. You are just such a thing of beauty. Please. Allow me to recite you a poem. A poem just for you. Apologies, you lovely creature you."

Clearing his throat, then taking a black bandana away from his back jeans pocket, wiping away the sweat that had accumulated on his forehead, the man nearly bellowed:

"You can _come_ by my house, it'll be just us.

No one to disturb, there'll be no need to fuss.

Perhaps play a little game, maybe like a super hero game.

You can be Batwoman. I'll be Bruce Wayne.

We can fly away together in the sunset.

It'll be the perfect ending to our little movie, so don't you fret.

You like my idea? I know you wanna.

I've got the perfect snake for your pit: a very long Anaconda."

Smiling uncontrollably afterwards, clearly proud of himself and his "poem", Stephanie momentarily turned her attention back to Mark, who looked just as weirded out as she was, which was very hard reaction to to elicit out of him.

Stephanie never thought she'd find anyone more eccentric than Saphirra, but here this man was in the flesh, calling gibberish he just rambled off well-versed poetry. And he was a biker no less. Stephanie assumed that all of them were bad guys who liked to drink, beat people up, and sell and do drugs. This particular person was a clear deviation from the stereotype for her.

She would hope that it was only the alcohol forcing the biker to make such a fool out of himself and not the true character of the biker himself. She actually _wanted_ to give this man the benefit of the doubt and say that it was, especially since Stephanie knew how crazed and possessed Saphirra could be when she was sober.

Saphirra then, for the first time, speaking to the biker beyond the word "no", looked back up him with a sudden look of lechery, sizing the plump man up and down. As Saphirra leaned up from the table, flipping her long black hair over her shoulder, biting her own lip now, Stephanie watched the bizarre scene in complete bewilderment.

One moment Saphirra looked revolted, now she looked turned on?

_"What is it with this woman?" _she found herself asking yet again. There was truly no way of figuring her out.

"Mark," Stephanie whispered, confused. "What do you think she's doing?"

Shushing Stephanie with his hand, since he too seemed to be to a bit baffled by the conversation the biker and Saphirra were having, as well, the two watched on as Saphira, rubbing on the man's chin asked deeply, as if she were in lust, "Oh, so you like to speak in riddles?"

Nodding profusely, the biker, puckering his lips together, ready for Saphirra to place her own lips against his, possibly sending him off into the stratosphere, answered naughtily, "Oh, yes, I do. I do. I do."

Saphirra, however, then placing her lips only centimeters away from his, her warm breath tickling the visible saliva on his lips, as Stephanie gasped in disgust, suddenly placed an index finger to the biker's lips, forcing his eyes open.

"Wait, before I do this," Saphirra said, her voice husky, as the biker looked at her with seedy passion in his eyes. He wanted her in the worst way possible; he was restless for her.

"You were so nice before, reciting a poem, just for me. Well, I've got a riddle of my own. Don't want to hear it?"

"I … I guess so," the biker shrugged, mopping his sweaty forehead yet again with his bandana.

He was very ready for Saphirra to plant a big fat kiss on his lips. He wasn't quite anticipating for Saphirra having her own poem just for him, but he was still flattered nonetheless. He had finally found someone who respected how much the arts and romance went hand in hand this day in age as much as he did. To him, Saphirra was his soulmate.

"Great!" Saphirra exclaimed. "Now, now, this is my first time doing this," she warned. "I'm a little shy … I don't know how good I am at it, but …"

Clearing her throat then, much to what he had done earlier, preparing herself, Saphirra said:

"You talk like a big dog, but you're all bark with no sound.

If you touch ever me again, your head I will pound.

You may want to rub your fingers on my clit, but guess what?

I don't give a shit.

Because if you don't leave me alone, you'll be in need of a first aid kit.

You may want to give me a kiss, but after I kick you, your dick you will miss.

If you're looking for a full-length action packed adventure, I've got the perfect movie to choose.

It's call Me Kicking Your Ass from Beginning to End, rated PG-13, my gift to you."

Standing up on the foot stand of her chair now, leaning over the biker, Saphirra ended her poem, her voice heavy with disdain, "Now get the hell out of my face."

The biker, who seemed to sober almost instantly at Saphirra's words, visibly turned red. He looked like an overweight, balding version of Brother Love he was so furious. Speaking to Saphirra loudly, while she continued to stare him down, the biker nearly screamed, "Oh, so you're gonna kick my ass?"

"Didn't I tell you to get the hell out of my face?!" Saphirra screamed back, her death stare never wavering.

Other than Mark, Saphirra wasn't a woman who was easily intimidated by anyone, however, Stephanie suddenly feared for his safety. This biker obviously wasn't mentally equipped enough to take no for an answer, and his demeanor changing so quickly frightened even her.

Suddenly, the man grabbed Saphirra by the wrist, yelled, "I'll show you who's ass is gonna get kicked!"

Saphirra, with no intimidation from the much larger man whatsoever, looked back into the biker's eyes without fear, stating perfectly clear, "You don't have the _balls_ to put your hands on me."

Placing her hands over her mouth in panic, the man having the true intention of striking Saphirra, Stephanie watched as Mark bolted from his seat, grabbing the biker's hand in mid-air, gripping it as hard as he could, almost making it snap!

All the commotion from the scene caused most of No Name's patrons to turn to all of the commotion, as well, as the biker screamed for Mark to let his hand go.

"If you're gonna kick somebody's ass, kick mines," Mark threatened, tightening his grip on the biker's wrist even more, while Stephanie watched from her own table flabbergasted. Things had taken a turn for the worse so quickly!

As the man squirmed in pain, not being able to move any of his other extremities his wrist was enduring such physical torment, a man, who looked to be a bartender, called out from behind the main bar located in the center of No Name, saying loudly enough, "Hey, Mark! Let him make it! Don't kill em … yet!"

Despite the intensity of the scene, laughs from around the bar broke out. Mark, however, wasn't laughing, and as he let go of the man's hand, jumping at him for good measure, the man went scattering, leaving his beer behind at Saphirra's table in the process. The other patrons in the bar showed the biker no mercy, as well, laughing at him profusely as he ran out of No Name.

Staring down at Saphirra for a moment, as she returned his hot gaze, obviously flustered at what could have been a worse scene than it turned out to be, Mark sat back down at he and Stephanie's table, as normality suddenly returned to No Name. Everyone it seemed went on with their laughs and jubilations as if nothing ever happened.

It was all too surreal for Steph!

Even Mark, signaling over a waitress to bring him a beer, seemed just as cool, calm, and collected as ever, even though he was near twists away from snapping another man's wrist, She felt as if she were in the middle of the Twilight Zone!

As the waitress returned with Mark's beer, with Stephanie still in shock at what had just occurred, a loud booming voice from a woman called out to No Name.

"Which one of you whores just rebuff Lenny George?"

Although Stephanie couldn't exactly pinpoint where the voice was coming from, she quickly got an ominous feeling in the pit of her stomach yet again, as Mark suddenly leaned his head back in frustration, looking up at the ceiling. Obviously, something was troubling him in order for him to make such an expression.

Stephanie, however, quickly got her answer as to why Mark seemed so agitated, when a tall, plus-size woman, another biker, with spiky blonde hair, wearing a black shirt, with the initials "PBOL" printed in the front of it, blue jeans, and biker boots, walked over to Saphirra's table, as she herself continued to stare at the Budweiser signage. The entire bar in No Name turned their attention to the scene yet again. It was as if everyone knew something bad was going to happen.

Pressing her fat fingers down onto the table, the woman, staring at the side of Saphirra's face, asked once, "Are you the bitch that just hurt my brother, Lenny George?"

Obviously the sister of the biker, Lenny George, had Saphirra pointed out to her by one of No Name's patrons, and she looked as if she ready to do battle, right then and right there. Saphirra, on the other hand, kept her composure, replying curtly. "He's into action movies. With a dumb fucking name like Lenny George, I can see why. Does he carry rabbits around in his pocket, too?"

The other woman, with her left fist balled up tightly, grabbed Saphirra by her vest, twisting her body to her's, while Saphirra had the pure instinct alone to suddenly grab the beer bottle that Lenny George had left behind, breaking it over the table, and placing the broken glass right in the woman's face, neither one of the faltering!

Stephanie could not believe her eyes! She wanted to plead with Saphirra to put the broken glass down, but she was afraid that the heavier woman would deck her as a result!

With everyone in No Name deathly quiet, the same man who asked Mark not to break Lenny George's wrist, walked over to the scene, placing a rag over his shoulder, ordering, "Hey, Rhonda? Now you know the rules: no fighting in No Name. If ya'll girls wanna fight, take it outside!"

Rhonda, looking at Saphirra with pure hatred in her eyes, while Saphirra looked on madly at the woman herself, letting Saphirra's vest go, slowly walked backwards, pointing at her, "I want your ass outside! Right now!"

Turning to walk away, Saphirra, once again failing to get Mark's approval, suddenly jumped from her seat, and followed Rhonda outside, as well. There was going to be a fight!

"Hey, Mark! Mark?" the bartender called out, as Mark brought his head back down. Tonight was clearly not going the way that he planned it. "She, the one with the black hair, she with you?"

Sticking his tongue in his cheek, as Stephanie's head dashed backwards and forwards, not knowing what to think or what to do, Mark nodded slowly. He was not the fondest of Saphirra the moment.

Smiling quickly, the man, holding his hand into the air, yelled out, "I got $100 dibs on the girl with the black hair!"

Suddenly, half the bar starting running in the direction of the bartender with money in hand, as Mark grabbed Stephanie about the wrist, walking the two of them to the outside. It was pandemonium! She could not believe what she was seeing! Was Saphirra really going to go through with fighting this Rhonda woman?

Outside, there were even more bikers convened in the parking lot of No Name than there was before Stephanie and Mark had entered. Clearly word had spread quickly about the fight, and everyone wanted to be a witness to it.

"Who ya got?" an older gentlemen, with tattoos alongside his arms, as well, with gray hair, sitting on a Harley-Davidson, casually asked the other biker next to him.

"Oh, you kidding? Big Rhonda for sure, there. Has she _ever_ lost a fight?"

That did not sound good to Stephanie. This Big Rhonda woman sounded like a professional fighter almost, as if she fought for a living. That couldn't bode well for Saphirra.

_"She's never lost a fight? Just how many fights has she been in?"_

As Mark and Saphirra walked up to the circle of people, who were obviously crowded around to see the brawl between Big Rhonda and Saphirra, the crowd began "oohing" and "aahing" suddenly, forcing Mark to break through the crowd with his sheer strength.

Pushing and shoving heavily, the two finally made it into the front of the pack, where Saphirra was on one knee, nursing her left jaw, as Big Rhonda stood over her, opening and closing her hands repeatedly, telling Saphirra, "Come on, you whore! That ain't all I got for you, you dirty, stinking whoooooree!"

Just then, getting a running start, Big Rhonda attempted to connect her foot right in the middle of Saphirra's face, but instead of attempting to run, Saphirra, on one knee, sat there. As Big Rhonda neared closer with her foot in the air, Saphirra, cat-like, punched her quickly in the gut, then in a combination, grabbed Rhonda's striking leg, twisting on it until she fell on her back!

As Rhonda fell flat on her back as a result of the one leg takedown, Saphirra mounted the woman quickly, landing two blows to Rhonda's face, but her sheer strength quickly came back into play.

Placing her foot in Saphirra's stomach and pushing heavily with authority, Saphirra went flying back, falling into the group of hungry onlookers, who promptly pushed her back into the fight. They were blood thirsty. They wanted to see a fight and a decisive winner, no matter who ended up hurt!

And that's when Stephanie thought about how all these fighting could end up hurting _her_. If she fell or was even pushed by someone and landed the wrong way, then that could turn out to be catastrophic. She knew deep down inside that Mark would never allow anything to happen to her, but she didn't want to take any chances. And with them literally being encircled by a mob of people, what was she to do? There was nowhere to go to escape the crowd.

As Rhonda grabbed Saphirra by the neck, she slugged her right in the face, causing for a trickle of blood to come from her mouth, as the rowdy crowd continued to yell, pumping their fists and wavering various objects in the air, rooting for Rhonda, as she slung Saphirra to the ground with ease.

Holding her arms outstretched, cursing, Rhonda, in clear control, asked the crowd cockily, "Who else want's a piece of me? Huh?! Who else wants a piece of Big Rhonda?"

As people chanted for Rhonda to "finish her", she walked back over methodically to where Saphirra was shaking off the cobwebs, attempting to get back to her feet. Rhonda, with the most strength in a woman that Stephanie had ever seen, picked Saphirra up by the neck, lifting the girl into the air with pure strength alone, as Stephanie let out a very loud gasp.

_"This can't be happening! Saphirra's getting dismantled!"_

Throwing her fist into the air, aiming right for her face, Saphirra, with agility and traction that Stephanie had never seen before, wiggled free from Rhonda's grasp, ducking underneath her punch, before delivering two quick punches to the back of Rhonda's head quickly, causing Rhonda to stir on her feet. It was as if Saphirra, who was tasting her own blood, was the professional fighter now.

Rhonda, not to be outdone, then reached inside of her back jean pocket, retrieving a rusty pair of brass knuckles, placing them comfortably around her fat fingers. As Saphirra's pupils dilated, paying special attention to Rhonda's right hand, Stephanie, tugging on Mark's hand, exclaimed, "Baby, that's not fair! She has a weapon!"

Mark, however, didn't say or do anything. He wanted to see if Saphirra could handle her own battles. Every member of the Ministry had to fend for themselves when it absolutely came down to it, sometimes even when the odds were stacked against them, and Saphirra was no exception.

Moving sideways, attempting to avoid the brass knucks, Rhonda came running at Saphirra at full speed, swinging at her with two closed fists, the air around them making "whooshing" sounds as she did so! Swinging repeatedly at Saphirra, with no clear direction, Rhonda swung one last final time, turning her own self around from the velocity of her swing, as Saphirra ducked underneath yet again, delivering a chop to the back of Rhonda's knees, forcing the big woman down.

Attempting to take advantage of the situation, Saphirra landed two stiff shots to the side of Rhonda's face, who in turn swatted Saphirra away as if she were a bug, sending her flying to the ground in a thud. Looking down at her on the ground, Stephanie could easily see the impression left on the side of Saphirra's face from where the brass knuckles had clearly landed.

Had this been her, she would have been done for by now, but Saphirra was still stirring. She hadn't quite given up yet … and neither had Rhonda, who was also attempting to stand back up to her 6 foot frame, however dizzy.

As both women made it back to feet near simultaneously, Saphirra, spitting blood from her lips, giving off the presence of the truly maniacal woman that she was, opening and closing her own hands now, told Rhonda, in that baby-like voice that drove Stephanie absolutely mad, to "come on bitch."

Charging at Saphirra yet again, Rhonda swung at Saphirra with both hands, while she ducked beneath them, delivering shot after shot to Rhonda's stomach. In response, Rhonda clubbed Saphirra in the back with a double ax-handle like move, breaking Saphirra down to one knee, before grabbing her by the hair and flipping her in a somersault like maneuver, as Saphirra landed flat on her back in pain.

_"This woman is an animal!"_

Holding her stomach for a few moments, Rhonda turned on a dime, ready to finish Saphirra off, but when she did, there was no one there. Looking around at the asphalt and not seeing where Saphirra could have disappeared to, Rhonda, yelling at the top of her lungs screamed, "Come out! Come you skanky little traaaam …!"

She was unable to finish her command, however, because Saphirra, right behind Rhonda all along, pressed both hands into Rhonda's shoulders from behind, and then, launching herself into the air, pulled back with all of her strength, falling onto her own back yet again, as the heavier woman's weight came straight down onto Saphirra's knees in a gruesome backbreaker!

As Rhonda swung her hands rapidly, attempting to both hit Saphirra with whatever hand that she could, along with rolling her weight off of the girl, Saphirra, quickly removing her knees from Rhonda's back, crossed her legs at the ankles, before applying pressure to Rhonda's throat with her right forearm, holding the move in position by grabbing her wrist with her free hand, applying even more pressure to Rhonda's neck.

It was an expertly executed rear naked chokehold that Saphirra had locked in perfectly! Even the motorcycle crowd, which had been squarely behind Rhonda only mere seconds ago, were now behind Saphirra, screaming for her to "choker her out!"

_"Things were getting way out of hands now!" _Stephanie thought to herself.

For one, even though Rhonda was still attempting to fight, hitting Saphirra over and over again in her exposed thigh and knee with the brass knuckles, she was now turning blue in the face, as she desperately tried to remove Saphirra's arm from around her neck, but it was seemingly no use; Saphirra was not letting go! She even took it a step further by delivering another three consecutive shots right to the side of Rhonda's face, before returning her grasp back to the move.

Mark could sense that mortal trouble was on its way, as well. Breaking away from Stephanie, Mark walked over to the scene, where Saphirra, not letting go of the UFC like maneuver, crazed, whispered into Rhonda's ear in her Marilyn Monroe-esque type voice, tightening her grip as she went, "Good night. Nighty nighty. Go to sleep."

Bending down, Mark loosened Saphirra's grip, since he was probably the only man on Earth right now who could do so, pulling her up from behind the woman, and walking away with her, as the raucous crowd began to boo. Pulling Saphirra along, as Rhonda lay on the ground near motionless, Saphirra looked back at her and said, "Sweet dreams, bitch," abandoning her lunacy for a moment, her voice returning to normal.

As the crowd began to disperse, Rhonda's brother, Lenny George, walked over to help his sister, who was clearly unconscious, as the rest of the bikers failed to offer any help. Many of them were even moaning in disgust, not because of the fact that Rhonda lost her first fight, but because they had lost money betting on her to win against Saphirra.

Mark, who still was grasping Saphirra by the wrist, walked over to the bartender gentlemen who had collected the bets, with Stephanie in toe, saying to him in near disgust, "Look, I'm sorry all this went down," as he tugged on Saphirra's wrist, who was unsteady on her feet, while Stephanie had her hands over her mouth in shock. She couldn't believe all that had just happened!

The bartender, however, didn't seem to mind so much that the two women actually got into a fight. In fact, he seemed rather pleased. "Oh, Mark, baby, you kidding me? I'm ten years strong in the business, and I'm about $5,000 richer? I'm the luckiest man alive."

Putting two and two together, Stephanie having an "aha" moment, went, "Wait? You're Larry?"

"In the flesh. How do you do?" he asked, lifting Stephanie's hand up to kiss her palm, while Stephanie, in bewilderment, looked over to Mark, who was shaking his head at the clear night sky, his dark hair falling down his back.

"Oh," he added, suddenly remembering something. Counting through the stack of bills he received from his wager, Larry counted out $1,500, handing it over to Saphirra, who was still spitting blood. "Here you go. Let's do business some other time."


	76. A Smoking Gun

The drive back to Mark's ranch was yet another quiet affair. Mark was furious with Saphirra for getting into a fight. He wanted to have an intimate night out his wife at one of his favorite nightspots, but instead, he almost ended breaking some guy's wrist, and Saphirra could have ended up behind bars for murder. Obviously, there was no fun in all of that.

Saphirra, however, was the worst for wear. Her lip was swollen like a balloon, and she had blueish hues of bruises around both her eye and her jaw.

Stephanie was still in shock about all that what had transpired, as well.

She didn't blame Saphirra for sticking up for herself at all. In her mind, Saphirra had no choice, after that heinous creature of a man was about to put his hands on her, and his sister instigated a fight with Saphirra, as well. But, between the brass knuckles and Saphirra literally choking Big Rhonda out, things had definitely gotten way out hand, and all she wanted to do now was to put this night behind her as much as possible.

She also wondered, as she looked over at Mark driving, since she was the one who suggested that Saphirra stay the night with them, if Mark was upset with her or not. Mark had a horrible history of misplaced anger, especially when he was as upset as Stephanie suspected he was. She was seriously hoping that she wasn't going to be at the brunt of yet another sexual punishment. She just couldn't take that all over again.

After arriving back home, Mark was kind enough to help Saphirra out of the truck and into the house. While Saphirra went back downstairs into her bedroom, to rest her surely aching body, Stephanie went about fixing her an icepack and grabbing her a package ointment. She was really going to need all of this, especially before morning, when the offset of her bruises would really kick in.

Going down into Saphirra's room, Stephanie knocked on her door politely, but it pushed open as she did so. Walking over to Saphirra's bed, Stephanie handed her the cold icepack, which she gladly placed upon her face. She did not look good.

"You ok?" Stephanie asked sincerely, hoping she could help Saphirra in any way possible.

"I've been better," Saphirra managed, sitting up in the bed slowly, placing her legs underneath her.

Her back was killing her. She fell on it twice, once by force, the other by choice, just in order to choke out Big Rhonda. She won the war ultimately, but Saphirra was seriously now questioning at what costs.

"How'd you learn that move you did?" Stephanie asked curiously.

She had never seen that particular move ever. The WWF, and most of professional wrestling for that matter, had a ban on certain chokeholds that blocked the trachea. Saphirra couldn't have possibly have learned that particular hold in OVW or PPW, because they didn't train that variation of the choke. It was gruesome, and to her credit, Big Rhonda had to be a hell of woman to withstand the pressure of it for so long, since Saphirra had it professionally cinched in.

"Did Kenny teach you that?"

Looking at Stephanie in near disgust, Saphirra, unbuttoning her vest, as she rested the icepack between her face and shoulder, exposing the swells of her breasts, said in return, "No."

"So how'd you learn it then? You take karate or something?"

"You mean Jujitsu?" Saphirra corrected. Stephanie was rich, but she also seemed very clueless to her, on top of being very nosy.

"Whatever," Stephanie shrugged, sitting on the edge of the bed with Saphirra, as she leaned back down upon it.

Saphirra was in a world of pain, and all she wanted to do right now was take a hot bath and prepare for her flight out of Houston in the morning. But instead, she was having to differentiate the difference between karate and Jujitsu with Greenwich born Stephanie.

"Kenny never taught me shit," Saphirra replied abruptly. She obviously didn't like talking about this particular brother, and Stephanie on the inside blamed Mark. "My brother Frank taught me how to execute it, if you must know."

"Oh," Stephanie replied shortly. "It seems like you and your brother, Frank, are kind of close, huh?"

"He's the only one who gets me," Saphirra answered truthfully.

"That's why I hate what Mark did your family," Stephanie countered, looking in the other direction. In her estimation, Mark had no right interfering with family affairs. Ryan and Kenny were closer than siblings at one point, and he had torn them apart. This was a family they were talking about, and she wondered inwardly how he could have such disregard for that.

"Look, Steph, I hate to break it to you, but Kenny and I were not as close as we once were leading up to me joining the Ministry, in case you had not noticed."

"What I noticed was a brother trying to protect his sister," Stephanie answered defensively.

Stephanie honestly liked Kenny. He was the only person who attempted to track her down after Mark had her holed away in that Godforsaken basement. And since Ryan never had the best reputation, Stephanie knew how much Kenny wanted to protect her from the likes of a Billy Gunn or a Val Venis, men who would only use her for sex, and then leave her high and dry, much to what they had successfully done.

"Yeah, like your brother tried to protect you," Saphirra shot back. She didn't like to talk about her family, and she wished Stephanie would quit prying already.

"That was mean," Stephanie said, hurt that Saphirra would go there. In her estimation, Saphirra was lucky to have more than one brother who cared about her. She and Shane hadn't spoken in a while, and although she loved him, she couldn't get over his blatant apathy towards her leading up to she and Mark now being together.

"Look, I apologize," Saphirra managed, regretting the words as soon as she said them. She hated saying sorry, because she honestly never felt sorry for anything that she did. "But, all that fighting and stuff, Frank showed me that, not Kenny, and had he not, I'd be in some hospital tonight if Big Rhonda had her way."

"I see," Stephanie added, wanting an excuse to get away from Saphirra's troubled family life. She was very defensive when it came to things like this Stephanie quickly learned. "Seemed like you were fighting for your life back there."

"Hell yeah I was, Greenwich. Did you see that beast? Reminded me of one of my foster mothers … the bitch."

"Guess you don't want to talk about that, either, huh?" Stephanie asked, attempting to read into the mind of what used to be Ryan Shamrock, however murky it was.

"About how that woman reminded me of my horrible foster mom, Rita? The one who used to beat me just because … yeah … not really."

"I'm sorry to hear about all that. You used to fight your foster mother?"

"All the time until I ran away. She had a pimp for an old man, who used to beat her like shit, then she'd turn around and take it out on us."

"Us? There were more than just you?" Stephanie asked astounded.

"Steph, you've been sheltered your entire life, so let me break it down for you, Princess: foster care is one big sham, alright? You got all these lazy bitches and bastards waiting to collect a check off the heads of helpless children, and in turn, the kids are treated like dog shit. That's what the foster care system is really like."

"And she used to beat you?" Stephanie shrieked in horror.

_"No wonder she's so messed up!"_

"She _tried_ to beat me, Steph. Keyword: tried. I'm not letting anyone put their hands on me," Saphirra rightfully declared, leaning back in the bed again after sitting up in a huff.

_"But she was going to let Mark punish her … willingly."_

"So what about Justin? You know, the boyfriend who did that to you?"

"It happened so fast, Stephanie, I really couldn't process what was happening. I got a good swift kick in the balls in, but that was it. Now, I have to go back to sunny California looking like this? Can you believe it?" Saphirra asked sarcastically. She had a very weird definition of humor, especially since Stephanie couldn't find one thing remotely funny about all this.

_"Maybe she uses this dark humor to mask all that hurt? Maybe she needs an outlet or someone other than me to talk to."_

"Saphirra, maybe you should try counseling, you know? Maybe talk to someone who understands your level of thinking?"

"You think I'm crazy?"

"Duh," Stephanie added, smiling. She wanted to try to both cheer Saphirra up and help her get through this night before the morning. "Oh, and maybe you should think about staying here for an extra day. At least until your face gets well."

"One," Saphirra said, ticking up a finger as she went. "Thank you for recognizing my insanity. It's an honor and a privilege, but I ain't seeing no shrink. Two," she added, holding up a second finger. "I can't miss Frank's charity bout. We've been waiting on this for months. I have to be there."

"Saphirra, you want to see a fight, but you've just been _in_ a fight. And it looks like it, too. Can you imagine all the strange stares you're going to get while passing through the airport?" Stephanie rationalized. If her face looked like Saphirra's, she wouldn't even want daylight to catch her face out and about.

"Strange stares are a part of my daily repertoire, Steph. I'll be fine," Saphirra said, rolling her neck backwards and forth. She was so stiff she could barely move, but she knew that in order to catch her flight out of here in the morning, she had to attempt to stay limber, especially if she was going to be cramped into the airplane's confined space for a near three hours.

Turning around to face Saphirra in the bed, pushing her own legs up underneath her, Stephanie then asked, "Saphirra, why'd you bite, Christian?"

"Word surely travels fucking fast around here, doesn't it?" Saphirra asked sardonically, rolling her eyes and placing her arms over her chest.

"I'll take that as a yes?" Stephanie asked wryly, looking at Saphirra sideways, wondering if she was going to tell the truth or not. "So, why'd you bite him?"

"Stephanie, if some unknown man, in the middle of the night, in a dark hotel room, far away from home, was breathing over you while you were attempting to sleep, wouldn't you bite him, too?" Saphirra asked, looking over at Stephanie.

"I see your point," Stephanie answered dryly, tilting her head to the side. If Saphirra's version of events was true, then Christian should have definitely known better, especially if Saphirra didn't know whom he was at the time.

"Ok, well, if you could beat up Rhonda, and she was easily 250 pounds, why didn't you do the same with me?" Stephanie found herself asking.

When she and Saphirra got into their fight, that was the first time ever Stephanie had ever been physically confrontational with anyone. And if Saphirra had been fighting for as long as she had, and had even been somewhat trained by her brother Frank, who was a professional UFC fighter, why didn't she beat Stephanie? Stephanie knew that this was potentially a dangerous question to ask, but she had to know the answer why?

"Why? You want me to?" Saphirra asked, licking her lips in anticipation.

"No!" Stephanie nearly shouted, holding up her hands. Saphirra had already been in a fight, and she didn't want an extra burst of adrenaline kicking in at her expense.

"Yeah, you're right, McMahon. Plus, I'm no baby killer," Saphirra whispered, pointing down at Stephanie's stomach.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Stephanie, placing her hands over her stomach, looked over at Saphirra, who responded. "You want the truth? Fine. Stephanie, I could have kicked your ass if I wanted to."

Eyes widening with shock, Stephanie, honestly taken aback, responded she flipped her hair over her shoulder, "Do you know that I am a fourth generation McMahon, and that we Irishmen have very nasty tempers?"

"Do you know that I could give a shit? Like, Stephanie … really?"

"So why'd you 'let me win then'?" Stephanie asked unbelievably. She beat Saphirra fair and square, and even though she felt that moment was probably the lowest moment in her life, she wasn't going to let Saphirra take that moment away from either, as crazy as that sounded to her.

"I 'let you win' because beating up the wife of the leader of the Ministry hosts a variety of different repercussions that quite frankly I wasn't willing to take. So … hey … you win some, you lose some," Saphirra added honestly.

"Saphirra, I won that fight fair and square," Stephanie added, quite confident in herself now.

Chuckling under her breath, Saphirra then added, "I really wish you weren't pregnant. I'd quite prove that you aren't as tough as you think you are, _McMahon_."

Knowing how Saphirra could truly go from day to night in a heartbeat, Stephanie opted to change the subject. "So, can I ask you something else?"

"You're asking everything else in the world, Greenwich, so you might as well."

"Well, since you put it that way … who's Harley Quinn?" Stephanie asked curiously.

Letting her arm drop from over her face, Saphirra, stiffly sitting up in the bed again, looked at Stephanie, with her breasts partially exposed, asking dryly, "You really don't know, do you?"

"Not really," Stephanie said smiling, placing her hand on Saphirra's, who looked down at at the exchange. "But I'm sure you'll love to explain."

* * *

><p>"This particular Mercedes is one of our top of the line models," the saleswoman told Mark and Stephanie, as they walked through the interior of the car dealership, where a host of other modern and luxury cars called the showroom home.<p>

After Saphirra made her flight to San Diego, Mark and Stephanie drove to the Mercedes-Benz dealership, since Stephanie wanted a new car. She was hellbent on not driving Mark's pick-ups, and since Mark truly didn't blame her, they decided on the drive over that a Mercedes would suit Stephanie's wants and needs better than a competitor brand such as Audi or Lexus.

"This is the brand new 2000 Mercedes S-500. It just arrived to our dealership only a few days ago, is part of the exclusive S-Class from Mercedes, the top model class from our brand, for the past, I believe, thirty years. It comes standard with a five liter, V8-engine, 5-speed automatic transmission, is a rear wheel drivetrain, which gets you sixteen miles per the gallon in the city, and twenty three miles per the gallon highway."

Stephanie, as the statuesque blonde saleswoman listed all the car's feature, was infatuated with the S-500, while Mark, behind his dark sunglasses, was a little less enamored with the Benz.

Stephanie was a woman who based her car needs on looks, how the vehicle made her feel inside, which was a goldmine for a car salesman. Mark was a man who went for purpose and practicality in his vehicles, and he was known to negotiate the prices down for his vehicles, as well. Together, they would have to merge both of their interests, since Mark didn't want Stephanie walking driving off the lot today with a car she didn't absolutely did not want nor need.

"So this thing here don't come with all-wheel drive?" Mark asked, folding up his arms, looking around the car carefully, inspecting it.

Smiling, never one to get intimidated in the middle of a sale, the saleswoman, Michelle, answered politely, "Well, sir, we are expecting the all-wheel drive options this fall, however, since our dealership was only a few in the country to receive the new 2000 models, this is the only current model we have in our inventory, sir."

Mark, clearly unimpressed, nodded only once, as Stephanie nudged him in the ribcage. She didn't care if the car in front of her was an all-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, or even a one and a half wheel drive. All she knew is that this particular Mercedes was absolutely gorgeous and she wanted it today.

"Um, excuse me, Ms. Clark …"

"Please, call me, Michelle," the saleswoman offered.

"Call me, I'll be over here," Mark added rudely, clearly not in the best of moods today, as Stephanie squinted her eyes together, watching him walk away from her.

Mark was in a very bad mood. On top of Saphirra getting into a fight last night, and him almost breaking some fat guy's wrist, Stephanie had accused him of sleeping around on her … with Angel of all people. And while Mark on any other occasion would have stayed and chatted with the saleswoman about perhaps even buying him a new car, as well, even though Mercedes' weren't his type of vehicles, there was another blonde he had to speak with most urgently.

Taking out his cell phone, Mark, walking out the door of the dealership, pressed several buttons on his phone, plus a direct extension, before pressing send, placing the phone to his ear. Angel had a lot of explaining to do and she had to do it right then and there.

The phone rang to Angel's office three times before Mark heard on the other end of the phone, "This is attorney Angel Scott of Brinks, Rolle, and Williams, how may I help you?"

"Angel," Mark stated perfectly, knowing that she would catch his voice immediately.

As Angel sat behind her desk, jotting something down with her Mont Blanc pen, she answered, "Mark. What a surprise. How may I assist you today, Mr. Calaway?"

"You can start by explaining to me why it is that you would tell me wife that me and you are fucking," Mark stated agitated.

If he were in front of Angel right then and there, he would have pitched a fit, and probably wrung Angel's neck for good measure. He wanted Angel to stay out of his business with Stephanie, and he aimed to achieve that today.

As Angel closed her eyes, knowing that Mark was going to angrily confront her about her prior incident with Stephanie yesterday, she heard the elated voice of his new bride saying, "Mark, we're going on a test drive! A test drive! Oh, my God, can you believe it? This is my dream car! Wanna come?"

Placing the phone to his side, Mark, shaking his head, answered, "Naw. You an Ms. Whatsherface go on ahead and take your test drive. I've got some business I've got to discuss over the phone."

"Ok, but I really wish you'd come" Stephanie said seductively, leaning into her husband. But time was of the essence. She had a new car to test out, and if Mark didn't want to come along for the ride, then that was fine by her, as well. That S-500 was literally calling her name.

Kissing Mark temporarily goodbye, Angel nearly barfed from the love fest on the other end of the phone. She just didn't get it.

Mark could have had any woman he wanted to and he chose … her? She was honestly afraid that Mark was going deaf, blind, and dumb, and was wondering now should the two attempt to set up a meeting to update his last will in testimony. He didn't seem like he was going to be around much longer if that was the case.

As Stephanie walked away, Angel said through her end of the receiver, "My God. How lovely. I am, really, really, really happy for you, Mark. It's almost as if we should forget all about your horrendous age gap and just celebrate in this barely legal love affair."

Placing the phone back up to his ear, Mark nearly barked, "Stephanie's grown, I'm grown. Don't play games with me, or you'll _barely_ be breathing. What the fuck did you tell Stephanie yesterday?"

Mark quickly found that his voice had risen in height so much that several other car dealers, who were also convened on the outside, had turned their attention to him, as well, forcing him to place some distance between them. Mark honestly didn't care if anyone heard him or not. He was pissed off, and if Angel didn't start providing him answers soon, he had a good mind to show up unexpectedly to her office, and the outcome of his visit would not be pretty.

"Look, Mark, things between Cinderella and I got way out of hand yesterday, but don't blame me; I didn't start that fight," Angel explained, as she stood from her overstuffed creme chair, choosing to sit in the windowsill of her office, overlooking the Houston skyline.

"I admit, I should have condoned myself, especially as your legal counsel, in a more professional manner, but your wife cornered me," Angel continued. "I was minding my own business, and in the parking lot of a Rite-Aid, she chooses to confront me about what I may have said to you?"

"Hey!" Mark shouted again. Stephanie may have gotten a bit of hellcat in her yesterday, and no she shouldn't have confronted Angel, but for her to blatantly beat it around the bush that they had an affair was crossing the line for him.

"I don't give a damn about all that. You, _Mrs_. Scott, told my wife something you shouldn't have. Now either you come clean with the shit or I'll be in your office in ten minutes, and Angel, you ain't seen mad yet," Mark threatened.

Sighing, looking down at her burgundy Gucci heels, Angel replied, "I may have implied that there was something between us, but Mark," Angel said hurriedly, knowing that was going to interrupt her. "I could have been implying anything. The implication may have been there, but I never outright said anything about us … even though we used to fuck regularly on occasion. I kept that quiet."

"And you're going to keep that quiet. I'm not above hitting women, but if you push me …"

"Geesh, Mark, take a breath. You're sounding more and more like Shannon. I'm not about to jeopardize my career just in order to one up your sweet, innocent little wife, alright? I know my limitations," Angel expressed.

Despite the fact that she didn't like Stephanie, she still wouldn't willingly admit that she and Mark had sex. There were too many things that could go wrong in that scenario. And Mark could be a sadistic bastard. She hadn't earned the wrath of his fury yet, and she didn't want to, either.

"So you just implied something, is that it?" Mark shot, his blood rising.

If it was one thing he knew about women, he knew that they were all alike. No matter how much they could act and think like a man in certain aspects, in the end, they were all still women, catty and spiteful to the very core.

"It wasn't right," Angel admitted, looking over her empty office, then down at a picture of she and Shannon from their wedding day. It was still alarming to her how she could feel so cold about that day. "But her and the bitch with the black hair were pushing it. By the way, who was that bitch with the black hair, anyway? She looked awfully familiar."

"Don't worry about her," Mark ordered, looking around the lot, cautious of his surroundings. He didn't need Stephanie or anyone else for that matter overhearing anything that he had to say.

"You just worry about the fact that as long as you live, the fact that we did what we did, which was last I checked, over six fucking months ago, is never to escape your lips. You got that?"

"Yeah, I got it, I got it, damn. And why is that we last had sex some six months ago, Mark? You trying to inherit Snow White's inheritance money or something?" Angel asked sarcastically.

She knew that her not taking life too seriously was both a gift and a curse for her, but she just couldn't picture Mark actually loving Stephanie McMahon. Something had to be up with their union, she felt.

"Don't worry about us. Alright? That's your problem. You worried about the wrong thing. You need to be focused on _my_ company and your own damn marriage," Mark found himself shouting yet again. He was just so infuriated that he couldn't help himself.

If Angel wanted to play games with him, then he would surely lose. Under any other circumstances, he would have her groveling at his feet, eating out the palm of her hand, but his focus wasn't on that at the moment. He sometimes wish it was, however. He knew how to break people, and he would love to make Angel a shell of her former self.

"Mark, I don't give a fuck about my own damn marriage, just like I know you don't," Angel added, attempting to uncover the true Mark Calaway. "It's a front; that's the reason why we were so attracted to each other in the first place. But this new Mark Calaway is some sort of sick. You can't possibly tell me that you love her; you don't love anyone."

"What do you mean by that?" Mark asked. It was true that he didn't go around professing his love for different people, but he couldn't quite figure out why Angel was so invested in his personal life. They had an agreement: a fuck and that was it. Now she was attempting to rewrite the rules of the game and he didn't like that one bit.

"What I mean is, the last girlfriend you had, after the weird biker chick, the redhead with the freckles on her face …"

"What about Lori?" Mark asked again, remembering his last girlfriend before Stephanie. Lori, a midwife, was a sweetheart, too sweet for her own good. And as it would turn out, he ended up breaking up with her, as well. Lori delivered babies for a living, and he couldn't mold her to what he wanted her to be, so he ended their relationship some six months after they originally met.

"Well, _Lori_ came crying into my office one day. Said you guys had been together for six months and you never _once_ told her that you loved her. Twas the same for the weird biker chick who's not around anymore, either. You love them, you leave them," Angel professed openly. "Now you expect for me to take you and Annabelle seriously just because of a stupid piece of paper? I thought you knew me better than that, Mark?"

Mark knew that Lori was in love with him, but she simply wasn't the girl he was hoping she was. She, like Stephanie at the time, was a virgin, and Mark made the mistake of taking her virginity. Had he known that she expected a ring and a life happily ever after simply because he was her first, Mark would have honestly never given her the time of day. But her going to Angel seemingly for advice made him even more angry, and they weren't even together anymore.

As far as Amy Jo was concerned, he admitted to himself that he had feelings for her, but just as the case with Stephanie, he wasn't going to be held hostage by a stupid four letter L word. He committed, and with Amy Jo, he managed to slip up and cheat on her only twice, meaning he was somewhat faithful, so he didn't like how she basically gave him an ultimatum one day: take a break from his career and admit that he loved her or move on with his life.

In the end, he chose to move on with his life. Mark was not the man you made threats to. He made the rules, not anyone else, especially a woman he was lying with in bed at night. He was old school, meaning he was the head of the household, and women had to know their places when they were with him.

Concentrating on the call yet again, Mark, angrier then ever, warned once and for all, "Angel, I don't swear to God to often, but, I think you know, I'm not Shannon; I don't mind making threats that I don't follow up on. But if you ever try a stunt like that again, they'll find you floating in the Colorado River. Don't test me!"

Hanging up the phone in a huff, Mark squared his shoulders and scanned the car lot yet again. His temperature had definitely risen and it was all over Angel and the stupid games she liked to play. Unfortunately for her, however, her game had just been cancelled.

Feeling someone sneak up behind him, Mark turned around on a dime, frightening the pigmentation right out of Stephanie's face. Relaxing his facial features as to not alert her that something was wrong, Mark watched as Stephanie, grabbing his hands, jumped into the air excitedly.

"I am getting this car!"

* * *

><p>"Will, I don't know how much longer I can do this with her. I just don't know how much longer I can continue to live my life like this."<p>

The Brasserie 21 restaurant was darkly lit. The two men, Will, an attorney, and the man who was speaking, were sitting across from each other in a corner booth of the restaurant. The man speaking did not want to be seen by anyone. He wanted to discreetly meet with his attorney to discuss very pertinent matters. As he slumped his shoulders in near defeat, a waitress, bringing over two lattes for both men, quickly sat them down before exiting.

The man, taking out a bottle of vodka from his suit jacket, poured the bottle's contaminants into the coffee, downing it instantly, as his attorney looked on perturbed. He had seen his client down in the dumps before, but never to this extent. It looked as if he hadn't slept or eaten anything, besides an unhealthy diet of alcohol, in days, which was most certainly detrimental for his overall health and psyche.

Will knew how much his client was sick with both agony and worry, but slowly killing one's self through alcohol poisoning was not going to solve anything. His client needed to face the facts of his harsh reality today if he wanted to truly turn his negative into a positive.

"Look, Shannon," Will called. "Look, look at me."

As Shannon looked over to his attorney, Will noticed something in him that he had never seen before. It looked odd, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. Will was well-aware of the fact that Angel and her adulterous actions had really taking a toll on Shannon both mentally and spiritually, but Shannon needed to focus on the task at hand to wallow in self-pity.

"I understand your frustrations. I can only imagine what frame of mind I'd be in if I had a wife who refused to stop having a multitude of affairs, but Shannon, we've got to concentrate."

"I have been concentrating for months and months and months now and nothing ever changes," Shannon spat through agony.

It was true, he loved Angel, but he could no longer put up with her sleeping around on him. He and Angel had been married for a decade now, and out of those ten years, not even one of them had Angel been completely faithful to him. And since he knew that she wasn't, Shannon felt that it was time to move on, but he had his reservations about this, as well.

Sure, Angel as an attorney made more money than him; his career as a freelance comic strip illustrator didn't make nearly as much money in one year that Angel could see in a single month, but that gave her absolutely no right to see different men … and women … right under his nose. And as it turned out, he was at his wits end with his marriage. He wanted out of his marriage, he wanted a divorce.

Angel was a bulldog lawyer on her own, and her own attorney, Robert Rice, was one of the best attorneys in the state of Texas. He couldn't afford a long and lengthy divorced battle going up against those two; he'd lose everything. And then what would happen?

"I mean, I don't know how much it is more that I can take. I mean, just the last night …" Shannon stopped himself, looking back down at his empty cup. He was ashamed of even attempting something as foolish as he did the night prior, but he felt that he was simply a man pushed too far.

"What?" Will started, attempting to spur on the conversation. "What happened last night?"

Sighing, rubbing his hands through his hair, Shannon revealed, "Last night, Angel came in about two, three in the morning. She was fucked up. Said something about her having an argument with one of her client's wives or some bullshit like that. Knowing her, the wife probably caught her and the husband screwing around. But in she came, lipstick skewed around her face, her blouse undone; she smelled like sex. Alcohol and sex."

"So … what happened afterwards?" Will asked, almost to afraid to get the truth at this point.

His client Shannon, for the past few weeks, seemed rather unhinged in his behavior and his mannerisms. He was honestly afraid that he was going to end up hurting someone or even himself, which is why Will wanted to find the perfect way to dissolve he and Angel's marriage as quickly as possible, along with claiming a big payday.

The problem with that lie in the fact that Angel had made Shannon sign a damn near impermeable prenuptial agreement. There were so many provisions and clauses in the damn thing that even if the two were to get divorced, Shannon would probably still come out on the losing end; he wouldn't be awarded anything in monetary value, meaning a loss for him to add to his legal career, which surely wouldn't help his track record.

The craziest clause in their prenup came in the fact that Shannon had signed off on the dotted line, years before Will was hired as his attorney, essentially making himself ineligible for spousal support in the case of their marriage ending. The clause specifically stated that Angel and Shannon had to be married for fifteen consecutive years before Shannon could ever legally draw a dime out of Angel in case they were to seek a divorce.

He didn't know if Shannon was just sick with love or just plain stupid, but the fact that Angel got him to sign off on this before they ever walked down the aisle told him that a little bit of both were true about his client.

Attempting to take his mind off the couple's prenup, Will listened as Shannon said, "Well, after she got in the bed, with her clothes and everything still on, I …"

"You what, Shannon?" Will asked, disturbed where all of this was leading to.

Gripping his hands and looking down at the table, not proud of himself at the least, Shannon revealed, "I stood over her body with a knife."

With his eyes nearly bulging from his head, Will shook his head in disbelief. He hadn't read the papers this morning; he had two urgent business meetings to make before this one with Shannon, but he was seriously hoping that Angel Scott was not dead and that he wasn't talking to her killer at the moment.

"Did … did … you?" Will asked nervously, wanting to tread very lightly with Shannon. He knew that all of this was bothering him … but murder? Had he honestly gone through with it?

Shaking his head slowly, Shannon revealed to Will's relief, "I couldn't. She was laying there, cold. I wanted to make it permanent, but I couldn't. But, if she ever pushes me again …" Shannon warned, before will cut him off prematurely.

"You won't do that," he demanded more than he assured. Murder was never the answer. Shannon was still in his early 30s. He still had a lot to learn and live for in life. He didn't want to see him throwing that all away because of his philandering wife.

"Look. Maybe you need to get away from your marriage. Get out of the house. Get out of her space. Let her have it for a moment. Killing Angel Scott won't solve anything, and you know that," Will said firmly.

He had to be firm in this position he was in right now. Even though Shannon was protected by client-attorney privilege, he couldn't openly allow his client to contemplate murder. He couldn't allow anything remotely like that to happen, especially if he had his say so in the whole ordeal.

"I know, I know," Shannon said, gripping his hair so hard he was nearly pulling it out. "I know I sound crazy, but she's pushed me there! I wanted children with her!" Shannon shouted, beating both closed fists on the table, gaining the attention of the other diners and restaurant employees.

After the commotion died down and everyone went about their meals and daily routines, Shannon placed his forehead onto the table, gripping the ends of it. Will didn't know what to do. He had honestly never seen Shannon so distraught.

_"Maybe I should talk to Angel, from one professional to another," _Will thought intimately. _"If she won't listen to Shannon, maybe she'll listen to me."_

Will then went to speak to Shannon again, but had to cut his words off prematurely, as the restaurant's hostess was seating a couple in a booth close to his own. He didn't want to run the risk of anyone else overhearing him. He smiled and nodded politely once at the couple as they were seated.

"I actually heard this restaurant was named the _Houston's Chronicle's_ Best New Restaurant of 1998," he overheard the female diner say to the hostess.

"Yes, ma'am. We only opened at the end of 97', and the reception has been so tremendous. We were shocked to be named number one," replied the hostess, who didn't look to be more than 18 years old. And short too. Will estimated that she was only around the height of four feet eleven inches tall.

"Our car salesperson, we just got a new car …" the female patron started.

"_She_ just got a new car," the man seated with her, a tall gentlemen, with dark hair, matter of factly interrupted.

"Well, _I_ just got a new car. She suggested that we come here for lunch. And boy," the wife exclaimed. "The menu looks just wonderful. It's quite expansive. I love French-American restaurants."

"Oh, well, ma'am, if you don't mind me asking, who was the salesperson? My parents own this restaurant, and I do a lot of the hosting when I'm not in school, so I can probably remember them."

"Her name was …"

"Ms. Whatsherface," the man, whom Will took to be the other women's husband, comically answered.

"No, it wasn't. Ms. Whatsherface? No, but, seriously, her name was Michelle. Michelle Clark, I believe," the older woman answered.

"Yes, I'm well-aware of Ms. Clark!" said the hostess, who seemed pretty exciting about knowing this particular person. "She works over at the Mercedes dealership across town."

"Right. You know her?" asked the wife, who Will observed to have brown hair, as she was sitting back first to he and Shannon's booth.

"Do I? It's because of her that my daddy got me a Mercedes for my high school graduation present," the hostess nearly swooned.

_"My first car was my dad's old, beat up 77' Bronco. Kids now get brand new Mercedes?"_

"You sure you tall enough to reach the pedal?" the gentleman comically answered. The wife then scolded the husband for his bluntness, but Will couldn't exactly make out his name. He was only listening to the conversation to pass time, to hopefully ease Shannon, so the two of them could go on discussing the various issues between Shannon and Angel in a clear mental fashion.

"What?" the husband asked, holding up both arms.

Will thought tattoos were so counterproductive of the work environment; this gentlemen had both arms covered in them. He himself had never even considered getting one, not even when he was off at college at the wild and crazy University of Miami. Kids his age were getting them left and right, but he refrained. He didn't want his esteemed background tainted by permanent ink. And he wondered how a man like him could go about having a career with the dirty ink plastered prominently on his body. It was if he were a walking billboard, Shannon thought.

"No, it's no problem, ma'am. I like to say that I'm not short, just height challenged," the hostess politely offered, giggling lightly.

"Hope you can overcome your little challenge," the gentleman quickly shot back, which caused the hostess to turn bright pink as she nervously giggled again. She apparently took her short stature in stride.

"What college are you going to?" the wife asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from the young woman's small frame.

"UT, the University of Texas. It's kind of a family tradition," she shrugged, still smiling.

"My kind of family," Will heard the man answer again. His attention to the conversation near him was quickly dashed away when Shannon, out of the blue, popped his head up from the table, flipping quickly through a shoulder bag he happened to bring in with him, saying, "I just want the judge to know that when all is done, I did my damnedest for my marriage. I really did."

Holding up his hands, trying to appease Shannon any way possible, Will responded, "I know you do. But if you want to take this bitch down, you have to take her down in a court of law. No one says it will be easy, but we can do it if we just think a little bit and let cooler heads prevail."

Shannon, however, nodding only, continued to rummage through his bag unmercifully. He was throwing various things around and Will was honestly afraid that he was going to attract the watchful stares of the other diners again. One forced scene today was one too many.

"She's cheating on me. We can tell the judge that that," Shannon said angrily, never taking his eyes off the bag.

"We both know that, Shannon, but we need proof. That prenup you signed is the Declaration of Independence for her. It's sealed tight," he answered, as Shannon once again never looked up at his attorney. Having his patience tested, Will, angry that his client was seemingly ignoring him, called, "Shannon … just … what the hell are you doing in that bag? What are you looking for?"

Turning his attention finally back to Will, staring at him blankly, Shannon stated finally, " A gun …"

Nearly gasping, Will, hoping that Shannon truly had not brought a firearm with him into the restaurant, stared back at his client, who then revealed, "… The smoking kind."

Slapping something hard down upon the table, causing the glasses and plates to shake from the force of it, Will looked down to discover not a gun that had been placed upon the table, but a set of photographs were now spread out in front of him instead.

Picking up the photos, Will looked through each one of them carefully, scanning them intensely.

The first photo Will inspected depicted what appeared to be Angel, in front of some bar named _Harry's_, in the middle of the night, with her fingers laced around another man's neck. In the second photo, what looked to be Angel yet again, depicted her tracing her fingers up and down this same unidentified man's chest. Flipping to the other photo Shannon had supplied him, Angel was gripping the anatomy of his man, while she kissed the same man alongside his face.

The final photo showed the same man grabbing Angel around the waist, in a smaller photo at the bottom of the page connected to that one, the man was even slapping Angel on the behind. Her facial expression looked to show a woman having the time of her life, in public, no less.

While the photos Shannon had supplied him perfectly ID'd Angel, he also believed that he knew or recognized the man on the receiving end of Angel's affection. He looked vaguely familiar. He couldn't recognize the man's face in the last photo since his back was turned, but the markings on the man's arms … he just knew he had seen them somewhere before …

As Shannon stared back over at his attorney quietly, Will, lifting his head up to confront his client about the nature of the photos, suddenly had his entire body turned into stone. Looking back down at the photos, shuffling through them to make perfectly sure that his suspicions were true, Will slowly turned his attention back to the couple who had just walked in.

Looking back down at the photos one more time, for complete confirmation, then back over at the couple that had recently sat near he and Shannon, Will said finally, "You know that little adultery clause in your prenup that we couldn't get around? I think we just found a way around it."


	77. Old Love Never Heals

Throughout the rest of the week, things went well for the couple.

Stephanie loved her new car, and she found herself driving into town more and more on her own, without the guidance of her husband. It would obviously take her a little while longer for her to get used to all of Houston, but Stephanie was absolutely enamored with her new surroundings. She had settled back into southern living almost as if she never left it.

On Wednesday, she and Mark took Zeus and April to the veterinarian, which the two pups absolutely hated, since they both had to have their nails trimmed and April was overdue for her vaccinations.

Stephanie hated hearing April moan in pain as she was poked in the skin, but she knew that the vaccinations were essentials for both April's health and her well-being. Stephanie loved her four-legged baby; April was just as much apart of the Calaway family as she was, and Steph wanted to make absolute certain that her April were to stay around for many years to come.

The couple also went about getting Stephanie's mail forwarded to her new address and got her last name officially changed. Before she left for Greenwich, Stephanie and Mark visited the local social security office to have her last name officially changed from McMahon to Calaway.

Initially, Stephanie pondered the name "Stephanie McMahon-Calaway", which would have removed her middle name of Marie. Mark, however, was vehemently against hyphenated surnames on women, citing his "old school" beliefs, so when her new social security card arrived in the mail, her new name of "Stephanie Marie Calaway" was prominently displayed on the front of it. Things were nearly legally and official between the two.

Fortunately, Stephanie and Mark decided that for the time being, when at TV, Stephanie were to still be recognized by her maiden name of McMahon. Mark could have easily requested for the announcers and production crew to refer to her as "Stephanie Calaway", but he didn't want to rush into things as he had done in the past. He wanted for Stephanie to come into her new name on her own at television. He was semi-committed to not pushing anything onto her again.

With her marriage certificate, old Connecticut driver's license, and her new social security card, Mark and Stephanie then went about getting Stephanie a new Texas driver's license.

They had to wait in the DMV for hours on end just for Stephanie to be seen, and in those hours, Stephanie signed more autographs than she could have ever possibly imagined. She didn't even consider herself a celebrity; Mark was the real attraction, but she received more attention on this day than he did, which felt both rejuvenating and a bit strange. She figured that people really did sympathize with her and all that she had gone through over the past few months.

One little old lady, however, who said that she watched the product with her grandson, "Toby", absolutely hated Mark, and she actually resorted to taking a swing at him with her walking stick, forcing Mark to take several steps back, as she nearly made contact with him! It was a comical experience indeed, especially since Mark never knew that he even drew hatred out of the elderly.

Earlier in the week, John's girlfriend, Kristen, called to invite Stephanie to hang out with her over the weekend. Although initially apprehensive about meeting Kristen outside of their significant others, Stephanie quickly realized that it was only her nerves that made her feel this way.

Kristen, only a year older than Stephanie at twenty four, was an absolutely gorgeous girl and she was very down to earth, despite her affluent background. She had sweeping blonde hair, had big blue eyes, and was only about two inches shorter than Stephanie at five foot seven.

Like Stephanie, Kristen's family was wealthy beyond imagination.

Her father, Peter Livingston, was a construction magnate, had contracts in and out of the United States, and was often times cited by the press as the "Southern Donald Trump". Her mother, Candace, was a Houston socialite, often seen on the front pages of all the society papers, similar to how Linda was prominently featured back in Greenwich.

Candace was the sole heir of billionaire oil tycoon, William "Big Bill" Baldwin, meaning that when Kristen's grandfather passed away, which Stephanie seriously hoped wouldn't happen for a very long time, along with charity, her mother was set to inherit a 9-figure, multi-million dollar fortune.

Kristen also had a sibling, her brother, Connor, who practiced law in Washington D.C. Her family lived in the community of River Oaks, in one of the largest mansions in all of Houston, and they threw several swank soirees and events at their gorgeous estate, just like the McMahon's had done throughout the years.

And because they were both around the same age, Stephanie and Kristen also found that they had other things in common, as well. They both liked the same kinds of music, same kinds of movies, and Kristen helped Stephanie further in breaking out of her shell when they went shopping for clothes.

They were both girls of the 90s, so they collectively shopped for just about every crop top, short skirt, mini-cardigan, and every pair of leather jeans that they could possibly find. They had only just met a few weeks ago, but Kristen and Stephanie both connected in a way that friends of many years did. It was definitely liberating for Stephanie to find someone so similar to her.

Unfortunately, however, Stephanie also learned that Kristen's parents highly objected to their daughter dating John.

Even though John had built his own legacy and fortune with his own motorcycle dealership, customization shop, and property management business, Kristen's parents were hoping against hope that their daughter was only going through a "bad boy phase", and that she'd eventually outgrow John, since his tattoos and choppers didn't necessarily fit the family's image conscious mold.

Stephanie failed to mention on purpose, however, that she knew for a fact that John was planning to propose to Kristen. In fact, John already had a ring sized and designed just for her. She wasn't quite sure when John would actually pop the big question, but she had seen for herself how John spoke so highly of Kristen to Mark, and she knew that their love was mutual.

How Kristen's parents would feel about all this, she had no earthly idea, but the way that she had spoken about them, Stephanie figured that they wouldn't be too happy about their daughter's impending engagement.

Kristen, just like Stephanie with Mark, seemed to be madly in love with John, despite her parent's objections, and because of all this, the two ladies clicked instantly.

The next week however was grueling for the pair, as they both traveled to Calgary for Owen's memorial service.

Initially, Stephanie had concerns about flying with Mark, especially since she knew that her mother was going to attend the service, as well, and she was quite nervous about seeing Linda and being in Mark's presence all at once.

She also didn't know how the other WWF personnel and superstars, especially in light of all that had happened backstage the Monday prior, would react to seeing the couple openly together, either, so to say Stephanie was on high alert was an understatement.

After word quickly spread about the fake abduction Stephanie staged, everyone was still under the impression that Mark was holding her against her will. Looking back on it, Stephanie now realized that her fool-proof plan wasn't so fool-proof after all, and she should have known better than to think of a scheme such of that, but she was desperate in that moment to stay with her husband. Now it could all blow right back up in her face.

She didn't want to go into Owen's funeral making things all about her, since they weren't; the day was about saying goodbye to one of their good and dear friends, but Stephanie just couldn't stop herself from being nervous.

During the funeral procession, there were thousands of fans lined up for blocks in order to pay their last respects to Owen, and although Stephanie attempted to put on a brave face, promising herself that she wouldn't cry again, she just couldn't help the onslaught of tears that she knew would eventually come. It was hard letting go of Owen, especially since he had been such a champion in the locker room.

Mark was equally upset, as well. He didn't cry or show any outward emotions, but like everyone else, he was devastated by Owen's passing.

On top of nearly all of the WWF's employees, with the exception of Vince and Shane, flying in to Calgary in order to pay their last respects to Owen, including her mother, Linda, Triple H, Chyna, Val Venis, X-Pac, Jeff Jarrett, Mick Foley, among many others, there were also several other WCW stars who also paid their condolences to Owen's memory, as well, including Hulk Hogan, Raven, Shane Douglas, Chris Benoit, along with Bret, Davey Boy, and Jim Neidhart.

The day was about celebrating the life and memory of Owen, and immediately after the service, Stephanie and Mark returned to Houston prematurely. They decided together not to subjugate their marital issues onto Owen's legacy, meaning Stephanie, although she nervously saw her mother in passing, did not have time to speak with Linda at all. She was both relieved and saddened by this all at once. She didn't want to risk a scene with her mother about Mark's perceived actions, but she also missed Linda very much and missed being in her company.

On Thursday, Stephanie, once again without the accompaniment of her husband, drove into town, not to shop, but to visit her new Houston obstetrician, Dr. Elise Patrick-Graves, OBGYN.

After privately speaking with Julie, Dr. Graves referred Stephanie to Dr. Patrick-Graves, whom Julie had not only attended medical school with in New York City, but Dr. Graves and Dr. Patrick-Graves were also sister in laws, since Elise was married to Julie's brother, Joshua.

Although Julie had sworn to Stephanie that Elise was probably one of the best gynecologists in the country, being a third generation medical professional, Stephanie was still all too nervous about seeing any doctor other than Julie.

Julie was a very close friend to Stephanie. She had revealed things to Julie that she would never tell anyone else, so having to somewhat open herself up yet again, to a brand new doctor scared her. Stephanie knew that doctors by law and moral standards could not reveal anything that their patients had confided with them about in private, but she was still weary.

After driving to Dr. Patrick-Graves' office, which was located inside a huge office tower in Downtown Houston, Stephanie, after walking inside felt … awkward … strange.

There were several other women inside the reception area, some of whom were pregnant, some of whom had recently given birth, while other ladies had toddlers. Seeing all of this made Stephanie feel as if she were stuck in the Twilight Zone all over again. She just couldn't quite come to terms with the fact that _this_ was going to be her new reality for the next eight months.

And then it dawned on Steph that pretty soon, her stomach would begin to protrude, her shirts would no longer fit, she wouldn't be able to bend down properly, her feet would begin to swell, and more towards delivery, she probably wouldn't be able to see her feet all together.

Then there was the fact that she still hadn't informed Mark of her pregnancy, either, although she initially planned to reveal the big news to him after Owen's service, but being that both of them were so solemn and distraught after laying Owen to rest, she ultimately decided against it.

Her new plan, however, was to break the news to Mark, at home, over a quiet home cooked dinner, sometime within the next month or so. She didn't know what his reaction would be, but she had a horrible feeling that it wasn't going to be good.

Mark now had everything he wanted in life: control over the World Wrestling Federation, the WWF Title, and he was now legally married to the former boss' daughter, Stephanie McMahon. Now Stephanie was going to have to convolute all of his wonderful accomplishments with the announcement of a child? A child that by all means that she wasn't even ready for herself, so she could only imagine how Mark was going to react to this super-sized news.

After being called into the exam room, Stephanie met Dr. Elise Patrick-Graves, a tall, African American woman with striking features. After shaking each other's hands and introducing themselves to one other, Dr. Patrick-Graves informed Stephanie that they would be performing a 1-month check-up on she and the baby, which made her nervous to no end.

She didn't know what to expect initially, and she was still somewhat unfamiliar with her new doctor and her facility. She knew that her new physician would more than likely not hurt her, but her paranoia was set at an all time high. She was now cautious of everything and everyone.

Fortunately for Stephanie, however, Dr. Patrick-Graves was just as nurturing and helpful as Julie. She and her assistant, Mona, answered all of Stephanie's concerns beforehand, including her questions about having sex with Mark while pregnant.

While Dr. Patrick-Graves did warn Stephanie not to partake in rough sex with Mark, she went on to confirm that having a healthy sex life with her partner was absolutely normal and safe, unless other complications arose throughout her pregnancy, which Stephanie hoped would never happen. She, of course, wanted a happy and healthy nine months, and she wanted the exact same thing for her unborn child, so she shooed away those kinds of thoughts.

Afterwards, they performed blood work on Stephanie and worked to determine a due date by performing an ultrasound.

Although Stephanie could only see what looked to be a tiny little ball floating around in the middle of her stomach, and it was too early to determine the gender of the baby, Dr. Elise did confirm that Stephanie was only having one baby, much to her delight, and estimated a tentative due date of January 20, 2000, which is what Julie determined for the baby, as well.

Stephanie was a whole month pregnant now, meaning she had eight more long months to go, and in those eight months, Stephanie was sick with uncertainty about what could potentially happen. And she still had no earthly idea on how to make Mark and Vince co-exist with one another. And if Mark were to be angry about this life altering news, then Stephanie could only imagine how Vince was going to feel about all of this …

After her blood work returned from the lab, it was determined that Stephanie's iron was below normal levels, which was unhealthy for the baby. Dr. Elise informed Stephanie that although her OTC prenatal vitamins were just as good as the prescription variation, she needed to have the new vitamins filled by a local pharmacy, which would help her maintain a healthy iron level.

Dr. Patrick-Graves, since she was nearly six weeks pregnant, then informed Stephanie that on the following week, she'd have to have a Papanicolaou Test, which Stephanie was non-too thrilled about. One had been performed on Stephanie before and it was a very uncomfortable experience, but this was absolutely needed to further access her health while with child.

Throughout all of this, however, Stephanie's morning sickness returned, and it returned like clockwork. Every day at six in the morning, Stephanie found herself running down the hall to an unused bathroom to vomit. It was horrible! She even found herself some mornings bent over on the floor, clutching her stomach at least twice in one day, nearly in succession.

She was only five-weeks pregnant, and while Dr. Patrick-Graves confirmed that it was normal for morning sickness to begin now, Stephanie found that other side effects of being pregnant, like her breasts being tender and swollen, to her getting tired more easily, to her cramping every other day, and having to use the restroom more often were all the things women _hadn't_ spoken about when regaling about the magical wonders of bringing a new life into the world.

On Sunday, Mark and Stephanie, no matter how miserable she felt, began packing for Raw, which was being held in Boston, and there was a lot of backstage drama going into the show.

Mark wanted answers from both Hunter and Shawn Michaels about the "screwjob" done to Austin at the last TV taping. If Mark was going to screw Austin, he wanted to do it on his own without unsolicited help, and he damn sure didn't want it from Shawn Michaels.

Flying to Boston was a three-hour and forty minute affair, and after landing, it was straight to the hotel for the couple. As usual, the hotel had to supply the WWF superstars with plenty of barricades and police security in order to keep the rowdy fans at bay.

They were like rock stars to the hungry fans, and Stephanie had a funny feeling that after Monday's show, the fans were going to be treated to the show of a lifetime if Mark had anything to do with it. He wasn't in a very pleasant mood.

As Stephanie and Mark walked hand in hand into the hotel, as fans snapped away at the two with their cameras, Mark felt the need to grip Stephanie's grasp tighter, nearly pulling her into the hotel, before she ultimately snatched away from him. Then, grabbing her by the upper arm, Mark ushered Stephanie into the hotel, as she tried her best to cinch her heels into the pavement. They still had a job to do and Stephanie felt compelled to, in the very least, keep up her end of the bargain.

After spending the night in the hotel, Stephanie awoke the next morning, similar to how she had been for the past week, leaning over the toilet, vomiting yet again. It was as if this whole morning sickness thing was a never ending cycle for her. And what was worse, she had misplaced her prenatal vitamins.

Dr. Patrick-Graves warned Stephanie during her check-up that morning sickness, while it usually lasted until a woman's third month of pregnancy, it wasn't unusual for the horrible experience to continue throughout the entire nine months of pregnancy. And that was definitely something that Stephanie did not want to even consider.

The only thing that saved her from Mark waking up and finding her leaning over the toilet was the fact that he had left about fifteen minutes prior to bring up the couple some breakfast. But at the moment, Stephanie, nauseated, wasn't in the mood for anything, let alone food.

_"Food. I don't even want to think about it."_

In the large vanity mirror in the restroom, Stephanie eyed her frame warily, turning from side to side, attempting to gauge if she had gained any weight or not.

At five weeks pregnant, she was beginning to notice a very small bulge at the base of her stomach. It was still too small for anyone else to notice with their naked eye, but with Stephanie knowing her own body, she definitely noticed the difference, and it made her cringe.

"I'll be fat in a matter of weeks. And the summer is just around the corner," she found herself saying out loud. "I'll be a whale."

"No, you won't," Mark replied to Stephanie's self-loathing diatribe, as he grabbed her around the waist, nearly forcing her heart out of chest.

Mark was so catlike that it was frightening, and Stephanie could only imagine what would have happened if Mark knew the truth behind her words!

_"Shit! Shit! Shit!"_

Attempting to sturdy her breath, while Mark kissed alongside her neck, Stephanie, still nervous, nearly shaking, said, "I mean, this diet thing for me is not working."

"Funny. Didn't know you were on a diet," Mark added, still kissing alongside of Stephanie's neck.

Normally, such sensualness would have put Stephanie in the mood, but being that Mark had snuck up on her, at the absolute worst possible time, she didn't feel anything other than fright at the moment. Her husband had nearly caught her referring to her pregnancy!

"Plus, you don't need to be on a diet. You get any skinnier you'll disappear."

Attempting to giggle away her near visible nervousness, Stephanie replied, "Yeah, but babe, I've got to go by my BMI. Look at Kristen. Her body is fantastic."

"Yeah, but I'm not married to Kristen," Mark answered, cupping Stephanie on the behind, before patting her on her backside gently. "Come on. Let's get something to eat."

Biting her lip at herself in the mirror, as Mark walked back into the bedroom, Stephanie replied meekly, pulling her shirt over her stomach snuggly, "Right. I'm coming."

* * *

><p>The last time Stephanie walked into the FleetCenter, she wasn't nervous at all. But a whole year after WrestleMania 14, Stephanie had as many butterflies in her stomach as ever.<p>

After the fake abduction, which Stephanie was honestly hoping would have all blown over by now, since a week plus had passed since that whole fiasco took place, she was every bit of anxious as to find out how people would react to seeing her with Mark once again.

The whole purpose of her plan was for her to stay with her husband and to further give off the impression that Mark was holding her against her will, but as the two were walking side by side with into the arena, Stephanie didn't anticipate that once again, just like all the other times before, that she would invoke so many stares and side eyes from just about everyone.

Maybe she should have known that she would receive this type of reaction, awkward glances and whispers from behind her back when others thought that Stephanie wasn't looking, especially since she and Saphirra had literally run from one side of the Mark of the Quad Cities Arena to the other, literally mowing over anyone who had the misfortune of crossing their paths, whether they were one of the Godfather's hoes, security personnel, Michael Hayes, or even poor Ken Shamrock, who received a wicked kick to the groin, from his own sister no less.

People just didn't forget those types of things overnight, and Stephanie realized now that she should have expected this all along. Plus, she was back in the company of the Undertaker, the man who had singlehandedly turned the World Wrestling Federation upside down. And it didn't help that Stephanie was no longer dressed like the Stephanie of old, either.

To keep the illusion that she was still Mark's mail order bride so to speak, the couple made the decision together to have her dress more like she would have if the two of them were going out for a night on the town back in Houston.

Even though Stephanie was becoming more and more comfortable with the fact that she didn't necessarily look like her old self anymore, and Mark was a big part of helping Stephanie to break out of her former shell, the others around them needed to believe that Mark was forcing Stephanie to dress differently, forcing her to be someone else. It was all part of the plan.

If Stephanie came to the arena dressed like her old self, button down blouses, shin-length skirts, and the such, then the two figured that their act wouldn't convince anyone. After all, Mark had forcibly married Stephanie on national television, and with him being a majority owner of the company now, he could literally almost do anything he saw fit with Stephanie, and having her dress to his liking wouldn't have been an exception, either.

Coming into the FleetCenter, Stephanie decided to wear her hair curly again, embellishing her look with a black V-neck blouse, which exposed just the right amount of cleavage, a pair of ruby red leather jeans, and a pair of black open toe sandals, which had at least a four inch, platform heel at the bottom of them. She also wore makeup, unlike she had done last time.

They needed for this to get over as best as possible, and from the funny looks that Stephanie received as she walked throughout the arena, then the two were definitely doing a great job at manipulating everyone around them, which Stephanie still felt horrible about.

Deceiving those who cared about her the most bothered her and would continue to bother her until she could think of a way for both Vince and Mark to merge their collective interests. As of right now, she still didn't know how she would do all of that, but she knew that she ultimately had to. Her family and personal life was literally hanging in the balance.

Stephanie once again had her own office, and Mark had decided that, unlike in past weeks, he would join her, since the office had a locker room conjoined to it. As usual, the crew had seemingly taken care of their every want or need. The office was outfitted with plenty of champagne, ice, an assortment of seafood and cheese platters, sodas, bottles of water, plenty of towels, and just about anything else that Stephanie or Mark could think of.

Unfortunately, the coffee machine was placed outside of the couple's dressing room, and since Stephanie needed to take a caffeine trip to keep her going through the show tonight, she walked outside into the hallway to make herself a cup.

Stephanie was honestly hoping that her woman's intuition was wrong for a change, and that the funny feeling she had in the pit of her stomach was only just a batch of bad nerves, because if it wasn't …

As Stephanie blew onto her hot coffee, about to re-enter the office, she almost ended up spilling some of the hot brew on Test. Seeing Test's six foot six frame standing over her almost gave Stephanie a jolt of renewed butterflies in her stomach.

She could admit, she did think Test was very handsome, and at one point, she was interested in him as much as he was interested in her, as well, but Stephanie had too much respect for her father in order to pursue anything. Plus, Stephanie was married now. She was madly in love with Mark and was currently pregnant with his baby.

But seeing Test right then and there invoked old memories of when she would lie in her bed back in Greenwich, dreaming of the what if's. She had spent countless nights dreaming of those what if's.

"S-s-sorry, Test. I didn't see you there," Stephanie stammered, looking up at the man who could have been a serious contender for her heart had Mark not come along.

Smiling, looking slightly offended, Test replied, "Oh, so it's 'Test' now, is it?"

Biting her lower lip, Stephanie realized that before today, she had never referred to Test by his in-ring name; he had always been Andrew to her, and would probably always would be.

Even though she had told Mark that Test was only a friend to her, and in large part, that was the truth, what she hadn't informed her of was the fact that she had a Venus size crush on Andrew, before Vince, and even Shane to a degree, shot her plans of a backstage romance between the two straight to hell. She had even placed a photo of Test in her old diary back at home. She, just only a few months ago, had been smitten with him, for what seemed to be no end.

_"Funny how life works."_

"Boy, you look … different," Test added, gazing at Stephanie up and down. He definitely liked what he saw, but this Stephanie was not the person he was so used to seeing.

"Yeah … I know," Stephanie said, looking down at her painted toenails She didn't know if Test meant she looked differently as in good or if she looked differently as in bad. A lot of people just couldn't fathom her looking so unlike her normal self, and Test was seemingly one of those people.

"I mean, just a few weeks ago … and now … man."

"I know," Stephanie replied bashfully. She honestly liked her new change in appearance. It made her feel like the adult that she now was, but she knew that her new metamorphosis so to speak would take others some time in getting used to.

"You just look different. I mean, it's a nice change and all, but …" Andrew started, but cut himself off prematurely.

He had known Stephanie for a period of eight months, and although that wasn't an awfully long time, he had never seen her dress and look this way before. Stephanie had always seemed to be such a daddy's girl when Vince was around, and now, she had changed, and he didn't know if he liked her new look or not.

"What?" Stephanie remarked, still holding her coffee. "Andrew, we're friends. You can tell me."

Test, however, perfectly honest, said then, "You know that I've _always_ wanted to be more than just friends with you, Steph."

That's when Stephanie's eyes began to bulge a bit, her cheeks burning with rosiness. She was shocked that Test was making such a brazen admission.

Stephanie knew that Andrew had feelings for her, but much like herself, outside of Test asking her out on a date, once and only once, he had too much respect for both Vince and Shane to follow up on attempting to date the most eligible bachelorette in the company. But now, something in Test's eyes, which Stephanie had seen before, twinkled brightly.

Stephanie knew this look. It was a look of desire.

Continuing, Test then said, "You know I've always saw us together, but you know, with your old man and you brother … Is Taker making you dress like this?"

As Steph simply stood there, mouth agape, not knowing where Test's line of questioning was going, he clarified, "I mean, you never dressed like this before, and Steph, you know, a lot of people are worried about you, no one more so than me. I just want to know if he's treating you right."

Stephanie didn't know what to say. She knew that people in the company were genuinely concerned for her safety, but she didn't know that Test felt so earnest about her situation. It was almost a breath of fresh air, but then when Stephanie looked down at her engagement and wedding ring … she didn't know what to think.

Answering about as honestly as possible, Stephanie replied, "I mean, Andrew, I do appreciate you being concerned about my well-being, but … Mark … you know how he is," before returning her gaze to the floor.

For whatever reason, Stephanie was finding it very difficult to throw her husband under the bus this week. Maybe it's because deep down inside, she knew how much Andrew cared for her.

With Kane and X-Pac, things were different. She knew that both men probably had nothing but contempt for her, so it was easy for her to twist and bend the truth to her liking. With Test, however, her feelings were completely different, and if anything, Stephanie felt that things should have been the complete opposite … but they weren't.

Taking two fingers and lifting her head back up to eye level, Stephanie watched as Test ran his fingers alongside her jawline, looking back down at her intently. With Test's acknowledgement that he still had feelings for her, Stephanie didn't know what to say. It felt as if the air was stilling around them. Test was looking at Stephanie as if she were _his_ damsel in distress.

"Yeah, I know how he is," Test remarked. "A big bully. Steph, I'm just going to be honest with you. If you were my woman, you'd never have to worry about being forced to do anything. If you were my woman, I'd respect your mind, your body, and your soul. You'd never have to be in fear of me doing all that crazy shit Taker has done to you. I mean, look at you know. Steph, this .,. this isn't you," Test ended, waving his hand up and down at Stephanie's new attire.

Confused still, not knowing where Test was truly going with all of this, Stephanie asked, "Andrew, thank you for being concerned about all this, but where … where are you … what are you saying?"

"What I'm saying is Steph," Test started, placing Stephanie's coffee on the table next to them, before going on to caress her hand gently. "What I'm saying is, drop the dead guy. Be your own woman for a change, and I promise you, with me, you'll never have to go through any of that shit that jerk has put you and your family threw ever again. I'll protect you."

Now Stephanie was truly at a loss for words. Test was actually asking her to leave Mark … for him!

Quickly thinking back to all of the things that she and Mark had gone through as a couple to get to this point, while Stephanie realized that the road could have been a lot smoother, at this point in her life, despite all of her husband's faults, and there were a lot of them, she couldn't think of any other person that she'd rather be with in life than Mark Calaway.

Sure, he could be evil, demonic, and selfish, but what others like Test didn't see was the side of Mark who wasn't the Undertaker at work, the man who was caring, loving, and supportive of everything that Stephanie was and did.

In all honesty, Mark had brought out a side of Stephanie that she didn't even know existed up until a few weeks ago. She was able to dress the way that she wanted to now, she was able to speak up for herself, she was more spontaneous now, even more adventurous. Mark had brought her all of that, which is why Stephanie hated deceiving the likes of Test, who honestly believed that Mark was dictating everything about her entire life.

In that moment, Stephanie felt the most dishonest she had ever felt, and she wanted desperately just to tell Test the entire truth about her situation, even with the backlash that she knew she would instantly receive. Her conscience was suddenly eating her alive.

Before Stephanie could say anything further, Test interrupted, saying, "I mean, look what he's done to Vince, to Shane, your mom. You mean to tell me that you're not afraid that you're going to be next? Steph, don't let this jackass continue to control you like this."

Shaking her head absently, not knowing what to say or what to do as Test continued to caress her hand, Stephanie felt Test's entire demeanor change, and not in a good way. He became instantly hardened by something.

_"Is he playing some kind of cruel joke or something?"_

Looking up into his eyes, Test was looking up at someone other than Stephanie, and before she could even turn her body to further access the situation for herself, Mark, who had yet to change into his ring attire, placed his large arm around Stephanie's neck and shoulders, causing for her mouth to dry instantly, her pupils dilating from the shock of it all.

Here she was, in the middle of a hallway right before the start of Monday Night Raw, and her former love interest, Test, was holding Stephanie's hand, while her husband had just walked up behind them!

If Stephanie could have, she would have fainted right then and there. The shock of this entire situation was very unsettling, especially since she knew how Mark's temper could be, on top of Test not being anyone's pushover.

Mark, with his arm still draped around his wife, suddenly reached down, and without saying a single word, removed Test's hand from Stephanie's, as the brash up and comer looked back up at Mark with an intensity that quite frankly, Stephanie had never seen before.

Looking back between both men, then looking into Mark's eyes, who had yet to still say anything, as if he were daring Test to try anything with his wife, Stephanie felt that both men, right then and there, would have a go at a good old fashioned fist fight, right there in the middle of the hallway! Her heart was jumping out of her chest with anticipation she was so nervous!

However, it was Test, taking a reprieve, who began walking backwards from the couple, however, he never took his eyes off of Mark, which was returned in kind. It was as if Test, who was nodding slowly, as he continued his descent down the hallway, was silently telling Mark something … Stephanie just didn't know what.

Now that Test had taken his leave, Stephanie was left attempting to figure out what had exactly happened. One moment, Test was attempting to woo her away from Mark, the next moment, Mark had shown up and with one saying one solitary word, had seemingly backed Test down?

It was almost as if Stephanie were in the middle of some sordid love triangle.

And she didn't know why, maybe it was the hormones affecting her sensibility, but Stephanie, for whatever reason, felt a little turned on by her husband's ability to stand up for not only himself, but for Stephanie, as well.

No, she wasn't in any real danger, and Stephanie knew that Test would never hurt her, but seeing Mark stare him down had done something to her. She liked the fact that her husband was such a badass that, without even speaking, he made his intentions all the more clear.

Looking up at her husband, who was just now taking his attention off the end of the hallway, Stephanie felt a sudden rush go through her body. And oddly, even when she knew that otherwise, Mark would lose his temper with her, he didn't. Instead, he only looked back down at his wife, who was staring back up at him, almost lustfully, asking, "You alright?"

Smirking, Stephanie, not knowing what had truly taken over her, even though she was at the arena, placing her arm around her husband's waist, replied, "Yeah, I'm absolutely fine."

Reaching over to pick up her coffee, with a twinkle in her eye, that even Mark was surprised to see, Stephanie walked back into the office with a definite smile on her face and even a twitch to her walk.

Mark, walking behind his wife curiously, before closing the door to the office, looked around the hallway one final time, closing it emphatically behind him.


	78. A New Commissioner in Town

It was almost time for the start of Monday Night Raw, and now that Mark had taken a shower and changed into his wrestling attire, Stephanie was looking at her husband with a lust in her eye that she had quite frankly had never felt before.

She was still reeling from the fact that Mark and Test nearly had some sort of confrontation right outside of the office, and it was all over her. She had to admit, seeing both Mark and Andrew getting all worked up, even though the two didn't speak to one another, had turned her on.

She always wanted to know how it would feel to be the center of attention from two different men, and since this would probably be the closet that she would ever get to a real life love triangle, Stephanie relished in the fact that both Mark and Andrew were essentially vying for her affection. It was surreal for Stephanie, but surreal in a good way.

She was still a bit at a loss for words over Test's admission that he had feelings for her, but Stephanie realized that now, as a married woman, nothing could ever happen between the two. At the moment, her eyes were squarely locked on the six foot ten tiger pacing back and forth right in front of her … and she wanted him.

As Stephanie indulged in a strawberry from the fruit tray, she reached out with one hand, grabbing her husband's arm, causing him to pause for a moment. Mark was pissed.

He had spoken with people in charge of match and promo scheduling, and he was informed that Shawn Michaels was supposed to be making a very special announcement at the top of the broadcast. Taker, unfortunately, couldn't find HBK to save his life.

Shawn was in the building; various people had seen him earlier in the day, but Mark, knowing how Michaels had cost Austin the title at the last TV taping, figured that Shawn was probably back to his old tricks with the help of Hunter and Chyna. He didn't put anything past a man who was probably more selfish than he himself, and that was really saying something.

Taker wanted badly to confront Michaels about his interference in his match against Austin. In fact, he wanted to do more than just confront HBK. If it was up to him, he'd put Michaels back on the shelf, permanently this time.

But knowing Shawn and how whiny he could be in the past, Mark didn't put being litigious past HBK, either. Angel would probably burn him at the stake if he ended up getting sued, by a fellow co-worker no less.

Mark didn't want anyone thinking that he, the Undertaker, had to resort to seeking out the help of his sworn enemy, HBK, just in order defeat Austin. He did things his way, on his own terms, and the fact that there were more and more whispers now of an Undertaker-HBK collusion only incensed him that much more.

But since Mark couldn't find Michaels anywhere in the arena, he resorted to pacing back and forth in the office like a caged animal.

After gaining her husband's attention, Stephanie, seeing Taker's frustration, offered, "Look, Mark, the show is about to start in three minutes. Let's just take things easy, ok? Let's just see what HBK has to say about Austin. You'll get him in due time, alright?"

Looking down at Stephanie, who seemed quite calm, cool, collected, and devious, Taker, against his better judgement, joined his wife on the couch.

Normally, he would have destroyed everything in the office if he couldn't get his way, but he realized that Stephanie was right. He needed to calm down and listen to just what HBK had to say. Hopefully for Shawn, it wouldn't be anything that would piss Taker off even further.

After sitting next to his wife, Stephanie, still sucking on her strawberry, crossed her leg and rested her head against her husband's shoulder, as a knock suddenly came at the door.

Calling for person on the other side to come in, Mark and Stephanie watched as the Ministry, Paul Bearer, the Acolytes, the Brood, Mideon, Viscera, and Saphirra all filled the room.

As she placed her hand on her husband's knee, attempting to comfort his restless mind, Stephanie noticed that Saphirra had taken her mental advice and had worn something other than her usual nearly black, gothic attire.

This week, Saphirra decided to wear a metallic, one sleeve blouse, which showed off her nipples rings through the fabric, burgundy metallic pants, and black boots. Even her makeup had deviated from the nearly all black scheme; red on the eyelids, red on her lips, as well. She had even crinkled her hair. Saphirra looked quite nice in Stephanie's opinion.

As everyone dispersed around the room, their attention all focused on the monitor across from them. It was finally show time.

"ARE YOU READY?"

As green X's filled the Titantron, the crowd in Boston got to their feet, as Jim Ross greeted the fans at home from the sold out FleetCenter on commentary.

The entire arena was anticipating, for what, no one quite knew, but with the old Degeneration-X music playing, they soon got their answer, because Shawn Michaels, in his old wrestling attire of over the top chest gear, red tights, and boots, walked down to the ring, smiling from ear to ear, just as cocky as he was before his semi-retirement after WrestleMania from the previous year.

As Michaels entered the ring and posed to the crowd with his signature pyro going off behind him, Shawn gave the crowd a crotch chop, perhaps signaling the re-birth of Degeneration-X.

JR, however, who was absolutely disgusted over Michaels' actions as of late, wondered puzzlingly how Michaels could cost Austin the World Wrestling Federation Title just one week prior, but come out to the ring smiling the very next week, as if nothing had ever happened.

He admitted that while he thought that Shawn had changed and changed for the better, he was clearly wrong. The old HBK, the arrogant, pompous, brash HBK was here, and this time, probably here to stay.

After taking off his studded vest and asking for a microphone, Shawn appeared as if he were right at home back in San Antonio, even though the raucous crowd in the FleetCenter enveloped "The Heartbreak Kid" with a chorus of boos.

"Boston, did you miss me? Did you really, really miss me?" Shawn screamed, still smiling, as the crowd continued to boo Michaels profusely. Someone in the crowd even nearly made contact with HBK by throwing a soda into the ring, barely missing him! The fans in the arena were incensed how Michaels had cost Austin the title, and they showed it in every way possible.

"I know, I know, and Boston, I missed you too," Shawn goaded, with his lip poked out at the crowd, feigning fake sympathy.

Even Jerry "the King" Lawler on commentary was at a loss for words for why Michaels, in his old wrestling attire, was in the middle of the ring, seemingly joyous. It was a known fact that Austin too was in the FleetCenter, and with toxic venom running through the Rattlesnake's veins, Shawn could very well have to nurse a snake bite by the end of the night if he wasn't careful.

"Ok, ok. I honestly didn't think I'd receive this much love from you Boston, but I must, I must get down to business. Stone Cold Steve Austin …!" Michaels called out, the mere mention of the Rattlesnake's name garnering a mixture of both jeers and cheers from the crowd.

The fans in the arena undoubtedly loved Austin; he was their anti-establishment hero. They just hated hearing their hero's name coming off of the likes of Michaels' lips.

They were, however, all anxious to find out why Michaels had screwed Austin out of the title in the first place, including the Ministry, who were all watching in the Stephanie and Taker's office impatiently, as Stephanie eyed her husband's reaction intently. He was staring at the monitor with a look of evil in his eyes like never before.

And he wasn't one for HBK's theatrics, either. If Shawn had an announcement to make, Taker wanted him to make it and make it quickly. He was a very impatient man.

"As the Commissioner of the World Wrestling Federation, I feel that I owe you a bit of an explanation for last week," Shawn said. "I feel that you maybe deserve, Stone Cold, to know exactly why I kicked your teeth right down your throat last Monday night. So, Mr. Production Guy, if you will, please, remind everyone what I did to old Stone Cold last Monday night."

As the replay showed the highlights between Austin and Taker for the World Wrestling Federation Championship, JR narrated how HBK, the special guest referee, with the help from Triple H, ultimately cost Austin the title, after Shawn blindsided Austin with a Sweet Chin Music, allowing for Taker, after the Tombstone, to pick up the victory.

After the replay finished, much like Test earlier in the night before the broadcast, Shawn, who had seemed rather proud of his actions, suddenly changed. "The Heartbreak Kid" was no longer smiling, he was no longer gloating. In fact, Michaels looked as serious as he had ever looked in his entire WWF career, even more so than when he faced Bret Hart in an Iron Man Match at WrestleMania 12.

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, all week long, in the airport, in restaurants, people have been asking me, hounding me, begging to know, 'Shawn, why'd you do it, Shawn? Why'd you screw Austin? Why'd you do it?' You know why I did it? You know why I did it and liked it, seeing Austin's body crumple to the mat as I counted the pin, as I counted the 1, 2, 3?

I did it because I could and because of each and every last one of you Neanderthals here in Boston, that's why I did it," Shawn ended, pointing his finger out at the more 17,000 fans in attendance at the FleetCenter.

"Wow," King remarked blankly, at a total loss almost at Shawn's admission.

It would seem that at one point, Shawn and Austin, even after Shawn's loss at WrestleMania 14, that the two men had a mutual respect for one another. Shawn had even helped Austin get back into the title picture after being cheated out of his third consecutive Royal Rumble victory earlier in the year.

It was safe to say now, however, that the mutual respect that both men had for one other was no more. Austin wasn't a man who forgave and forgot, and from the looks of things, neither was Michaels.

With his lips curled up into a visible snarl, HBK declared, "It's because of every single moron here in Boston, you all are to blame for me screwing Austin."

Then, as the crowd boos became deafening, screaming "Asshole! Asshole! Asshole!" at the current World Wrestling Federation Commissioner, Michaels continued by saying, "Go ahead. Boo your little lungs out. But, need I remind all you idiots that it was just over one year ago, right in this very building, that you imbeciles turned your back on HBK?"

"Turned their backs on HBK?" JR asked incredulously. If anything, JR, and a few other individuals behind the scenes in management positions, felt that Michaels had turned his back on the fans by even forming Degeneration-X back in 97' in the first place.

The fans had always loved HBK; they were apart of his "Kliq". But with he, Triple H, and Chyna's sophomoric antics leading into WrestleMania 14, it was a wonder to JR that Michaels had any fans left whatsoever. So Michaels blaming the fans for possibly turning on him puzzled him.

"That's right, stupids, you turned your back on HBK, and it's because of every person in this arena, it's because of every moron within the sound of my voice that there ever was ever an Austin 3:16 era in the first place."

"Oh, so that's it," JR noted.

It was pretty obvious that Shawn was still very bitter about losing to Austin at Mania in Boston the previous year, essentially blaming the fans for forgetting about him in the rise of Austin's meteoric popularity. But Shawn had a bad back after the his Royal Rumble match with the Undertaker. And after his loss at Mania, Shawn went into a self-imposed exile, while Austin went on to compete with the likes of Hulk Hogan as the most popular superstar in the country.

In the eyes of the majority, Austin could not be blamed for the downfall of HBK. Shawn, however, didn't necessarily see things this way. He blamed everything, from him losing the title, to going away, to losing DX, all on Austin. He wanted retribution for all of Austin's perceived misdeeds against him, and by costing him the title the week earlier, that meant to Shawn that he was finally getting his comeuppance on the "Texas Rattlesnake".

"Well, let me just tell you something right here, right now: Stone Cold Steve Austin can't even hold my jock! Austin will never, and I mean ever, hold a candle to me in or out of the ring and every last retard here in Boston knows it, too!" Shawn declared venomously.

"Whoa," remarked King.

"Come on," said JR sympathetically. "Fans we apologize. Shawn Michaels is stepping way over the line here."

Then, as the crowd began chanting, "You screwed Austin! You screwed Austin! You screwed Austin!" Shawn, with pure hatred in his eyes, with vitriol in his voice, stated loud and perfectly clear, "That's right! _I_ screwed Austin and I'd do it again! I _hate_ Stone Cold Steve Austin!"

"Man!" JR said. "Uncomfortable situation here folks."

"That's why, right here, live on Raw, in Boston, Massachusetts, I'm calling out Stone Cold Steve Austin, right here, right now! I want my WrestleMania rematch, and I want it now!" Shawn demanded, as the crowd began cheering wildly.

Shawn Michaels had called out the Rattlesnake for a rematch of their WWF Championship match from the year prior, and if they knew Austin, then the Rattlesnake wasn't too hard to find. The Rattlesnake never backed down from a challenge.

"Austin, Stone Cold, get your bald headed ass right here, and let's settle this, once and for all!" Shawn commanded, as the roof was nearly blown off the FleetCenter with jubilation from the crowd.

This was certainly a once in a lifetime match, and it was about to happen all over again. Austin vs. Michaels II!

"Michaels and Austin! Michaels has called out Austin! They're going to get in on here, King!"

"What?! I can not believe this! Austin, Michaels, they're going to … aah!"

King couldn't even finish the rest of his sentence because as the glass shattered, the fans in the arena jumped to their feet in unison!

"The Texas Rattlesnake", as Michaels waited in the ring impatiently, urging Austin to get in the ring, was making his way down to the squared circle, walking with purpose … but as the camera got a better view on Austin, it was abundantly clear that something was definitely amiss.

Walking down the aisle, in a black Austin 3:16 T-Shirt, cut off jean shorts, and black boots was none other than Triple H, emulating the Rattlesnake! Triple H had even went as far to placing a bald cap over his golden blonde locks and placed a fake goatee around his mouth, as it was ever apparent that DX, almost as if Michaels had never left, were back up to their old tricks.

As the fake Austin entered the ring, saluting the crowd from post to post with pinkie finger gestures, Michaels looked on fiercely as the knockoff Rattlesnake, coming off the turnbuckle, staring down Michaels, who looked back into "Austin's" eyes with a venom of his own.

"This is too damn much, King," JR noted on commentary, disgusted that Shawn and Triple H were making a mockery out of Austin.

"What? What you complaining for? He called out Austin and Austin showed up. This is going to be the collision of a lifetime, JR" King promised comically.

He himself loved seeing Degeneration-X back in their comedic form, and in his opinion, it could come at the expense of no one better than the Rattlesnake. King still had nightmares of the Stunner he once received from Austin, so he absolutely loved seeing Austin getting one-upped.

"You know damn well that ain't no Austin. That's a son of a bitch, that's who it is," JR found himself spewing. It was one thing to cost Austin the championship, but to openly mock him in front of millions of people was going way too far in JR's opinion.

"Huh?" King sprouted.

Michaels, putting the microphone back to his mouth, never taking his eyes off of "Stone Cold" for a single second, then proclaimed, "Now Stone Cold Steve Austin, before I whip your ass all over the city of Boston tonight …"

Before Michaels could even continue his statement, he was cut off by the sea of boos from the fans. They wanted Austin, but what they were receiving was a clear farce of the real Austin 3:16.

"… Before I whip your ass all over Boston tonight," Michaels continued. "I just need to get one thing straight with you Stone Cold. And Austin, I want the truth. Do you understand me _son_?"

Then, Triple H, masking as a cowardly Austin, who was literally shaking in his boots, spoke into the microphone with stutters. "H-h-h-hell yeah!"

With the crowd booing the loudest now, with King noting, "That is the real Stone Cold," Michaels asked sternly, "Stone Cold Steve Austin, would you have ever, and I mean ever, beaten the icon, the showstopper, the headliner, the main event, yours truly, 'The Heartbreak Kid' Shawn Michaels, at WrestleMania 14, had it not been for the help of one, Mike Tyson?"

Looking around at the crowd, who, in remarkable unison, shouted "Hell yeah!", the fake Austin, stuttering yet again, replied near bashfully, "Hell … hell no!"

With boos coming in the loudest of on any Raw broadcast probably the show's six year history, Michaels egging on the crowd even more with the imposter Austin, asked mockingly again, "Stone Cold Steve Austin, are you even half of the man that HBK is standing in this ring today?"

"Give me a hell no!" Triple H shouted into the microphone, even emulating Austin's hand gestures.

The crowd in Boston was so furious by DX's blatant bravado that more and more fans were beginning to pelt the fake Austin and Michaels with garbage, no doubt, the exact reaction that they DX wanted to receive from the lively crowd in Boston. After all, DX were considered the masters of crowd heat, good or bad, and they were inciting it more and more with the audience.

"And Stone Cold Steve Austin," HBK goaded on. "Is Shawn Michaels the greatest in ring performer, bar none, in the history of professional wrestling, of any organization? Yes or no, ice cold?"

"Ice cold?" King snickered on commentary.

"Give me a hell yeah!" Triple H shouted again, as the crowd in unison once again began chanting, "You suck!" at the two degenerates.

Michaels, reveling in the overtly negative reaction he was receiving, began speaking over the microphone again, but the crowd was so loud, so intense, that hearing HBK speak was a difficult talk within itself. The fans literally wanted to drown Shawn Michaels out.

"So, now that we've established who the true legend, who the true icon is here in the World Wrestling Federation here today, Austin, I not only want to beat your ass here tonight, but I also want the man who counted the shoulders of HBK, down to the ring this instant. Mike Tyson, get your ear biting ass out here right now and raise the hand of the true winner, Shawn Michaels!"

Suddenly with Degeneration X's music blasting through the loud speakers, and Triple H emulating Austin more and more by pacing around the ring, kicking the bottom ring ropes, out came Mike Tyson … or what should have been Mike Tyson.

"Oh, give me a break," JR commented unbelievingly.

DX had pulled a lot of stunts in their tenure, but Chyna, dressed in a Degeneration-X T-shirt, black pants, boots, with a black Kangol hat to match, holding her mouth slightly ajar, showing off her undoubtedly fake gold teeth, playing the part of the "Baddest Man on the Planet," Mike Tyson, was undoubtedly the group's coup de grace.

"That is Mike Tyson," King snickered with amusement. "Classic."

Walking through the ring ropes, Chyna, making jabbing motions, walked over to "Stone Cold", making air punches, while the "Austin" fearfully cowered in fear.

Continuing their production, Michaels then declared that Degeneration-X didn't have room for the weak, and not only was he revoking the Road Dogg and X-Pac's memberships, but he also introduced the final member of the reinforced group, "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn.

As Mr. Ass made his way down to the ring, also sporting a DX T-shirt, it was abundantly clear that the revamped DX was looking to not only humiliate Austin, but the only two members left of the original DX, Road Dogg Jesse James and X-Pac, as well.

Getting into the ring and taking the microphone from Shawn, Billy Gunn, serving as the narrator, helped the rest of DX, similar to how the faction re-enacted the Montreal Screwjob two years earlier, misconstrue the events from the previous WrestleMania.

Shawn, as the commissioner, even went as far as ordering the time keeper to ring the bell, with the mock bout between the fake Austin and HBK actually being a sanctioned match!

Going back to the main event of WrestleMania 14, Triple H served as a delirious Austin, Michaels played himself, by giving "Austin" a rather tame Sweet Chin Music, and Chyna, as referee Tyson, counted the fall, to what would have been Shawn once again retaining his then World Wrestling Federation Championship.

As Shawn and the rest of the members of DX laughed uncontrollably in the middle of the ring, knowing that they had yet again pulled the wool over the eyes of everyone in the arena, while JR continued to voice his disdain, up on the Titantron, Linda McMahon did not look amused at all. In fact, she looked rather stern and rigid.

The CEO of the World Wrestling Federation had obviously joined the telecast for a reason, and her reason looked to be very serious. Before DX were even aware of Linda's presence, the CEO began speaking.

"Well, I hope that the four of you are really enjoying yourselves. Because Degeneration-X, I think your comedy hour has just about expired."

With their attention turned solely onto the Titantron now, Shawn, having seemingly resumed his position as the leader of DX, after hearing Linda's warning, jumped around the ring almost as if he were a child throwing a temper tantrum. He didn't seem to care about Linda's presence nor was he taking her warning seriously, either. The juvenile Michaels had officially returned.

"Before you four can further make a mockery of this great company, with your shenanigans, Shawn, you of all people, as the current commissioner, should know that while we love to entertain our great fans around the world, business comes first."

Shawn, as Linda was apparently putting him to sleep with the start of her speech, placed his head on Chyna's shoulders mockingly, pretending to take a nap, while Linda continued.

"So Shawn, Triple H, Chyna, Billy, let's get down to business, because before long, I don't think you all will be laughing for much longer."

"Uh oh," King warned. "What she means by that?"

"The four of you may be wondering about my presence at the moment, why I'm not physically present at the FleetCenter in Boston tonight," Linda said. "Well, the answer to this is quite simple: tonight, I am at the World Wrestling Federation headquarters in Connecticut, where earlier today, I called an emergency meeting of the board of directors."

While Shawn and the rest of DX were taking Linda's proclamation of an emergency meeting in Greenwich lightly, back in the locker room, neither Mark nor Stephanie weren't.

In fact, Taker, after having Linda banned from the arena tonight, hadn't been notified about an emergency meeting at all. And since Angel hadn't contacted him today, he could bet that she hadn't been notified of a meeting with the board of directors, either. To him, this signaled big trouble.

"Since you and your friends," Linda continued. "Shawn, since you and your friends love to put on comedy acts, since all of you love switching places, I think that you are really going to love this. Since the board of directors and myself held a very special meeting this morning, and we control exactly fifty percent of the World Wrestling Federation, we suggested a little change in the front office."

"What she's talking about JR, change?" King asked, nearly dumbfounded.

The World Wrestling Federation had been the same for years behind the scenes, however, as the current CEO, Linda was a very powerful woman. And in Vince's absence, if she wanted something, then more than likely Linda was going to get it.

"I don't know," JR answered truthfully.

Even Shawn now, hearing how Linda was suggesting some sort of change, started to pay more serious attention to the chief executive officer.

"And Shawn, you'll want to pay close attention to this," she warned.

"While myself and the rest of the board were all present at this special meeting this morning, the other half of our board, the 50% majority shareholder, the Undertaker, was not, meaning that we had somehow come to a collective stalemate."

"Where's she going with all of this, JR?"

"I have no earthly idea," JR remarked. While Linda could be reserved and demure, JR knew that she was a hell of a businesswoman, so anything was possible.

"So it got us to thinking, what can we have do to bring about some much needed changes to the World Wrestling Federation? How can shake up the World Wrestling Federation, like it's never been shaken before? While I was readily prepared to step down from my position as the CEO of this organization this morning, it suddenly dawned on me that while that would have definitely been a very drastic decision, there was something _else_ that I could do."

With the crowd coming more alive now, anticipating that something big was about to happen, Shawn tilted his head at the Titantron curiously. He was seriously hoping that Linda wasn't about to do what he thought she was about to do. That would signal total disaster for him.

Continuing, Linda pronounced, "With that said, Shawn, in light of your recent actions, the board and I have come to an unanimous decision that, HBK, we are terminating your position as the World Wrestling Federation Commissioner, effective immediately."

At the sound that Linda was essentially firing him as the commissioner, Shawn was livid! He was so blinded with rage that, even though Linda was making this decision from her office in Greenwich, Shawn had to be restrained by both Chyna and Triple H, as he kicked the ropes ferociously, throwing an absolute fit! He had been fired as the commissioner of the World Wrestling Federation … again!

"Wait a minute, she can't do that!" King protested.

"The hell she can't, she's the CEO, she does what she wants! Linda McMahon has struck again!" JR exclaimed, as the crowd in Baltimore cheered heavily. While it seemed early on that DX were the ones having all of the fun at Austin's expense, Linda McMahon was essentially having the last laugh.

"While you have served this board well in the past, with your influence and your skill," Linda started. "The board and I have found that, as with all successful companies, there must be a change in policy in order to grow. That's why right there in Boston, Massachusetts, there will be a _new_ World Wrestling Federation Commissioner promoted here tonight."

"We're going to get a new commissioner here, King!" JR beamed.

"Aw, this is not right. Linda McMahon, what are you doing?"

While DX continued to protest in the middle of the ring, looking around at each other in utter disbelief, in how their night of fun had seemingly turned into a night of horror, Linda declared, "In any event, the board and myself have decided that our new commissioner should be a man of honor, a man of prestige. Our new commissioner should bring about some much needed changes here at Titan Towers. Changes starting with the dress code."

"Changes?" Lawler asked stupefied. Even Michaels mouthed out "dress code", attempting to figure out just where Linda was going with all of this. She had already fired him, so HBK was seriously hoping that his night wouldn't get any worse.

"Yeah, the dress code," Linda said. "It's going to be a little less formal, more casual, both here at the office and at the arenas. Cut off jeans might be the dress of the day at the office."

"Cut off jeans?" asked King. This definitely didn't sound too good to him. Even Billy Gunn, who was under the impression that Linda may have been suffering from senility, began swirling his finger around his head, signaling that Linda may have lost her mind.

"Number two, how about a little profanity in the office? Every now and then, a little sprinkling of profanity if the situation warrants at the office will be just fine," Linda mandated.

"What the …?" King started.

"And third, drinking on the job. Yeah? Yes. At the end of a long, hard day at the office, how about an ice, cold alcoholic beverage to quench your thirst?"

"She's gotta be kidding me?" King shouted again. To him, it was as Linda was seemingly trying to dismantle the WWF from the inside out, brick by brick.

"But Shawn, what all this means is that, after the board and I decided to terminate your position as the WWF Commissioner, we decided to approve the use of my last executive decision. And with that final executive decision, we have successfully chosen your successor. And this new successor, as the new commissioner, will have full power, authority, and privilege to run this company in the wake of my absence as CEO, as he sees fit."

As Shawn and the rest of DX looked around each other confusingly, afraid of where Linda was seemingly going, she then announced, "So, Shawn, DX, allow me to introduce to you the new commissioner."

"Oh, no. This can't be …" King surmised.

And once again, when the glass breaking of Austin's music erupted throughout the arena, the fans all jumped to their feet almost like never before, because the real Stone Cold Steve Austin, wearing a red tie to match his baseball jersey and jeans shorts, came out to a stellar ovation.

"Oh yeah, oh hell yeah!" JR shouted with excitement. "HBK, I think he just wet himself. The new commissioner of the WWF is Stone Cold Steve Austin!"

"He's wearing a tie!" Lawyer noted shockingly. "What is this?"

Meanwhile backstage, while Austin bathed in the glory of being named the new WWF Commissioner, the Ministry were besides themselves with anger, but no one was more besides themselves than Taker, who knocked over a lamp, causing it to crash and break on the floor. He even resorted to pushing Saphirra down onto the leather couch he was so furious!

To him, with Shawn's scheming and conniving, Austin, his sworn rival, even more than him, was now the new commissioner of the World Wrestling Federation, and that could only mean even more trouble for him as the champion, despite the fact that Taker was a fifty percent majority shareholder.

Stephanie couldn't quite believe what her mother had managed to pull off, either. One one hand, Austin should have gotten his revenge against Shawn for screwing him out of the title, but on the other hand, she felt that her mother, handing Austin the commissioner position, was making a huge mistake.

Austin, much like Taker, was not the kind of person who would sit in on boardroom and financial meetings. He was a known hell-raiser, and she could only imagine what Austin would manage to pull off now that he had true power within the company.

Plus, Stephanie honestly felt that Linda was once again overstepping her bounds. She couldn't help it; Taker was her husband, therefore she saw things more from his perspective. If Austin was the commissioner, then what did that mean for her husband? She didn't necessarily agree with all of Taker's actions, but she didn't want him losing the title, either.

"Hell, I think you heard what happened at the meeting today, so let's go ahead and start with that dress code thing. I can go ahead and take off this power tie," Austin started, taking off his crimson colored neck tie. "Because I no longer need this power tie. Because Shawn, you always knows that old stone cold has the power finger, so here's to you."

And with that, Austin, with a one finger salute, flipped all of DX the bird, while Shawn bucked around the ring in fury. Not only had he been fired as the WWF Commissioner, but he had essentially been replaced with the man that he admittedly hated the most!

After taking a long swig of beer from a can he was carrying in the back of his pocket, Austin, going over his notes on his clipboard, while DX remained absolutely dumbfounded in the middle of the ring, said, "Now, let's get down to business. What we decided at this meeting today Shawn, is at a later time and place and conditions to be determined by me, the Commissioner of the World Wrestling Federation, I _will_ have a title match and I _will_ take back my WWF Title!"

While Shawn up in the ring seemed to be furious at this news, Undertaker in the back was absolutely beside himself!

The whole purpose of last week's title match was for Austin, in the event that he lost to Taker, to go back to the bottom of the barrel, to go back to the bottom of the championship contention line. But now, as the commissioner, at any time or place, as long as Taker was holding the championship, Austin could demand a rematch, and this made Taker absolutely furious!

He was so mad that he was seeing red, similar to how he had lost all control a few weeks ago, and if his temper tonight was anything like it was then, Shawn, Austin, or anyone for that matter was going to be in serious trouble, not to mention a world of hurt.

Commissioner Austin, in a foul mood after being screwed the previous week, promised to make DX's life a living hell. Starting with Shawn, Austin noted that since Michaels was no longer the commissioner, that meant that he was now cleared to be an active competitor.

In that regard, as the new commissioner, Austin booked his very first match: Stone Cold Steve Austin versus Shawn Michaels in two weeks at the King of the Ring!

And to say Shawn was irate was an understatement. Shawn was ready to blow a head gasket! All of his planning, execution, and hard work had officially gone up in smoke.

After rehabbing his lower back for more than a year, HBK wanted to be the one to decided when he would officially compete in the WWF again. Now, Austin was shoehorning him into a match at the King of the Ring, and there wasn't a damn thing that he could do about it!

Austin himself promised to beat the living hell out of Shawn, as payback for the screw job of last week, but to Michaels' credit, he wasn't backing down from Austin's challenge. In fact, he was rather encouraging it. He was so blinded with rage that he was even threatening a fight with Austin right then and there. HBK had gone ballistic with the announcements from both Linda and Austin, and he wanted to do battle with Austin right then and there!

Moving on to Billy Gunn, since Mr. Ass had inadvertently cost the Godfather a King of the Ring qualifying match against his old foe, the Road Dogg, twenty-four hours prior on Sunday Night Heat, Austin booked Mr. Ass in a match with the Godfather, with the stipulation being that if Billy were to lose the match, then Mr. Ass "might have to show some ass", because he would have to become one of Godfather's hoes for an entire week!

Turning his attention then to the men that Austin called the workhorses of the World Wrestling Federation, Ken Shamrock, the Big Show, Mankind, and Test, Austin presented each man with a "blank check", and with that blank check, each of the superstars could have a match with anyone on the roster that they saw fit.

Austin then noted that since Triple H liked to play dress-up, and since he liked to injure people with sledgehammers, then Hunter would exceptionally like the fact that in competition for the night, Triple H would compete in the first ever Cast Match, which worried the Greenwich snob. It did not sound like a rather pleasant match.

The stipulations for the cast match were simple: Triple H would not only have to take on his hated adversary, the Rock, in the first ever Cast Match, but since Rocky had his arm in a cast, broken by Triple H, then Helmsley would also have his leg placed in full leg cast all the way up to his hip, which sent Triple H, snatching off his bald cap, over the deep end! He was just as furious at both Billy Gunn and HBK.

Austin was attempting to systematically humiliate and dismantle DX before they even could properly reform. And knowing him, the Rattlesnake was only just getting started.

* * *

><p>After the blockbuster announcement that Stone Cold Steve Austin was the new World Wrestling Federation Commissioner, things not only got worse for DX, but for the Ministry, as well.<p>

In another act of authority, Stone Cold booked a match between the Acolytes, Farooq and Bradshaw, versus Hardy Boyz. And what's more, the Acolytes' tag titles were on the line!

Even though the Hardyz were all but dismantled the week earlier at the hands of the Brood, the high flyers were proving themselves worthy of being in the WWF by taking it to the Acolytes. Unfortunately for them, however, as the lights went out across the arena, Michael Hayes, for the second week in a row, was a recipient of a blood bath, while up in the ring, the Acolytes, Gangrel, Edge, and Christian were doing their best to dismantle the youngsters, piece by piece.

With the referee calling for the bell, and the Hardyz winning the match via disqualification, the Ministry members continued to pummel away at a now defenseless Matt and Jeff, until Hayes, in possession of a steel folding chair, ran into the ring, chasing off the Ministry, but the damage had already been done.

After a short commercial break, Mankind, the Big Show, Big Boss Man, and Ken Shamrock came down to the ring to a roaring ovation. All of the men had various issues with members of the roster as of late, and with each one of them receiving a blank check that needed to be filled from Austin, they all went about making their desired matches.

First, Mankind announced that although Test wanted to fill his blank check later in the evening, since he "had a special surprise" planned, Mankind said that although he had "The World's Most Dangerous Man" by his side, he wanted to face "The World's Most Dangerous Woman", Chyna, one on one in the match later in the night, which received a thunderous ovation from the fans.

Then, in equally earth shattering match making, Ken Shamrock said that although he and Bossman wanted to get their hands on the Acolytes in the worst way possible, the two men had decided to wait until King of the Ring for their tag team titles shot, because Kenny had a match of his own planned for the evening.

In order to teach his meddlesome sister a lesson, Kenny wanted to have a Grudge Match with "Ryan", which the crowd in Boston absolutely loved, including JR. Weeks upon weeks now, Saphirra had accosted her older brother, from costing him the World Wrestling Federation Title to even recently kicking him in the groin, and tonight, it would seem that Kenny would finally be able to extract a measure of revenge on his baby sister.

Saphirra, however, backstage still in Taker and Stephanie's office, was so shocked that Kenny had decided to call _her_ out for a match that she fainted, right into Mideon's arms! She was in absolute shock. Even Taker couldn't believe that Kenny had called Saphirra out for a match!

Then, the Big Show, with a huge score to settle, challenged the Phenom to a one on one match, but it wasn't just any match! The Big Show, after getting leveled with a baseball bat in the temple twice, wanted a WWF Tittle match with the Undertaker, and this mad him absolutely furious!

Taker was so pissed that he know had to face Big Show in a title match tonight that as soon as he heard the challenge, he immediately slammed open the office door, with Paul Bearer attempting to follow as quickly as possible, stomping down the hallway, accosting a poor stagehand who was in his way, by literally tossing the lighter man out of his path.

And even though Stephanie wasn't quick enough to find out just where her husband was going, looking over at the semi-conscious Saphirra, who Mideon was attempting to resuscitate by fanning profusely, she had a sinking feeling that Taker, enraged with lunacy, was going to seek out the locker room of DX.

Tonight was proving not to be a good night for anyone on Austin's shit list.


	79. Test's Leap of Faith

Before Billy Gunn's match with the Godfather, the Raw cameras caught the Undertaker and Paul Bearer storming into the locker room of Degeneration-X, and with Mark now having to put his title on the line against the Big Show later in the night, he wasn't in a mood to do a lot of talking. Taker literally wanted to strangle the life out of HBK!

He had a simple plan pre-selected for tonight. Keep Linda away from the arena, confront Shawn, and run the World Wrestling Federation as he saw fit. But since Taker felt that Michaels had stuck his nose in his business, all of his plans for the evening had been ruined.

So not only did Taker want answers, but he now wanted to personally send every member of Degeneration-X to the nearest medical facility.

He had to make an example out of them, even Chyna if it came down to it, so as Taker literally kicked in the locker room of DX, the cameras got a one last glimpse of Shawn staggering away from a near maniacal Undertaker, as the door to DX's locker room closed to the cameras.

* * *

><p>Back in the arena, after Billy caused the Godfather to slip over the top rope, while the referee administered his ten-count, from behind, the Road Dogg entered the ring, seemingly from out of nowhere, dropping his former tag team partner with a Pumphandle Slam, payback for the constant barrage of run-ins from Mr. Ass costing he, X-Pac, and Kane several matches over the past few weeks.<p>

Coming back into the ring and seeing Mr. Ass flat on his back, the Godfather dropped a big leg over Billy Gunn from midair, before covering him for the win! And per the stipulations of the match, Billy Gunn now had to become the "property" of the Godfather for an entire week!

But Billy's troubles were far from over, because Commissioner Austin, coming back onto the stage, asked Godfather for the "honor and the privilege" to be his first "client", since Mr. Ass was now a vital member of Godfather's lady of the night roster.

Of course, Godfather, while Mr. Ass was attempting to be helped up back in the ring by the referee, obliged to Commissioner Austin's request.

Austin, not even allowing Billy to fully recover, announced another match, a handicap match against two men that Billy knew very well, right then and there: the team of X-Pac and Kane!

Mr. Ass, as Kane and X-Pac entered the ring, with the "Seven Foot Monster" throwing his pyro into the air, was barely back up on his feet before he received an Bronco Buster in the bottom turnbuckle, followed by an X-Factor from X-Pac.

Kane, getting in on the fun, as well, tossed Billy high into the air and back down again with a Chokeslam, before going on to deliver Mr. Ass a Tombstone Piledriver, driving him headfirst into the canvas.

It was only academic at this point, as X-Pac covered Mr. Ass for the pin, who had, within a very short amount of time, suffered two debilitating losses back to back.

And the show, with Austin as the new commissioner, was only just getting started.

* * *

><p>"Mark, I don't care what my mom says. Austin may be the new commissioner and all, but Saphirra, she's … she's not a wrestler. Austin can not get away with this. Are you really going to make her go through with this?"<p>

While Taker was now back in this office with the rest of the Ministry, after he returned from his impromptu meeting with DX, it was _he_ who was now watching Stephanie pace back and forth throughout the room as if _she_ were the caged animal, and Austin being named commissioner almost enraged her.

Stephanie considered Linda to be a very smart businesswoman. She was a strategist. She was the Yin to her father's Yang. She had been an influential member behind the scenes, helping Vince to grow and take the WWF to new heights like never seen before. But Stephanie felt that her mother actually making Austin the new Commissioner of the WWF was not a very wise nor smart business decision, especially with the hatred that Austin and Taker had for one another.

This entire thing, with both men fighting for control over the company, could end up being a power struggle like one had never seen before. Austin was enough of an issue on his own, but by adding the likes of DX into this whole sordid ordeal screamed trouble to Stephanie. This could be a war of epic proportions, with three of the World Wrestling Federation's biggest entities, Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Undertaker, and Shawn Michaels at the helm.

On top of this, Stephanie was flabbergasted that Austin had essentially given five of the top WWF superstars, Shamrock, Bossman, Mankind, Test, and Mankind utter and complete free reign over the roster tonight.

Mark taking on the Big Show was one thing. He was a competitor, he had faced bigger men than the Big Show throughout his career. However, Saphirra wasn't a wrestler, she was a valet. Mixed martial arts was one thing. That was for the ultimate fighting world. Saphirra might have learned a few holds here and there from her brother, Frank, but professional wrestling, where skill and technique were needed more so than brute force, was a completely different animal.

While Stephanie could admit that Saphirra had stepped way over the line by costing her brother match after match, one even being being for the World Wrestling Federation Championship, slapping him even, and declaring that she was no longer his sister, if Mr. Ass getting dismantled by Road Dogg, Kane, and X-Pac was any indication, Kenny would destroy Saphirra!

Kenny claimed that he only wanted to teach his baby sister a "lesson", but what kind of lesson could the "World's Most Dangerous Man" teach to Saphirra without that lesson being an extremely difficult one to learn?

While Stephanie was busy attempting to advocate for the girl, Saphirra herself was busy hugging and rocking herself on the couch profusely. Stephanie had seen Saphirra when she was at her most evil, and most recently, when she was at her most sane, but right now, Stephanie was looking at a woman who looked frozen solid with fear.

Saphirra was so afraid that she was actually going to be forced into a match between she and her brother that she was literally shaking. She was pale even, as if she were already to be embalmed she was so white with fear and trepidation. And that's why Stephanie felt she had to do something in order to get Saphirra out of this horrid predicament that she found herself in.

"I mean, if Austin gets away with this," Stephanie started. "Making the Acolytes put their titles on the line tonight without prior notification, putting Saphirra in a match against Kenny, putting you in a match with the Big Show, for the title of all things … I mean, just imagine what else he's going to think of. We have got to put a stop to this."

The rest of the Ministry, although they didn't say anything, felt that Stephanie was right, as well.

They were all equally pissed that Austin was now the new commissioner. First DX had convoluted the grand scheme of things for tonight, now Austin was ruining their plans, as well.

They knew that something had to be done about the Rattlesnake, but because Austin was now the commissioner until the foreseeable future, there was nothing either of them, save for the Phenom, could do to him physically without getting fined or suspended. It felt as if they were all trapped.

Undertaker also felt this way, as well. He hated Austin with a passion, and he hated Michaels with just as much fervor, but now that it seemed that he and HBK had somewhat of an understanding, his focus fell right back onto Austin.

In his mind, Stephanie made some very valid points in her arguments against Austin … all except for the one about Saphirra.

Taker was still pissed at how Saphirra went behind his back and listened to his wife without his explicit permission. That fake abduction that Stephanie staged and Saphirra went along with was the ultimate reason why he ended up with a swollen jaw. He also blamed Saphirra for Stephanie and Angel even having a confrontation the other day in the first place, and she didn't quite endear herself with him by getting into a fight at No Name, either.

And if he was going to be forced to face the Big Show tonight, for his WWF Championship no less, then his sympathy for Saphirra and her plight tonight was minimal at best.

Rubbing his chin hair, looking over at a woman, who, up until recently had proven to be a trustworthy servant in his human army, Taker, looking at Saphirra dead in the eye, signaled for her to leave the office with only a flick of his head.

Shocked, her eyes near falling into her lap, her mouth dry with amazement, Saphirra attempted to plead for mercy from her master. She was convinced that this wasn't going to be her reality.

"B-b-but … I can't … M-m-master … please … I can't …"

Saphirra was such in such a fear for her life tonight that her knees were buckling. But looking over at her master, who pointed towards the door silently, Saphirra, taking several deep breaths, walked out of the office slowly, looking back at Stephanie warily, who was equally amazed that Taker was actually going to make Saphirra go through with her match against Kenny!

As the door to the office closed shut, Stephanie looked back over to her husband in pure astonishment. She knew that Mark was upset with Saphirra, but this was beyond in her estimation.

* * *

><p>As the show returned from a commercial break, the Raw cameras caught Ken Shamrock, in his wrestling attire, stomping though the backstage area.<p>

It was now time for the Grudge Match between Kenny and Saphirra, but from the looks of things, Kenny more than likely knew that his sister was not going to show up to the ring on her own accord, so he went about searching her out instead!

Bursting into a women's locker room, which was fortunately empty, Kenny screamed out for his baby sister, accosting a production assistant, asking threateningly had anyone seen his sibling, but they all were at a loss. It was almost as if Saphirra had disappeared.

While still in the backstage area, Kenny looked over at a television monitor, seeing his sister, with brand new entrance music, terrifyingly walking down the ramp to the ring, as Kenny himself made a beeline towards the arena.

Saphirra, looking over her shoulder, as her hair flew about her face and shoulders, was a nervous wreck! She was literally being forced into doing physical combat with her own flesh and blood, and with Kenny being both a trained MMA fighter and a professional wrestler, her chances of ending up in the nearest medical facility tonight was very real.

"'The World's Most Dangerous Man' is looking for his baby sister, and here she is," JR noted, as Saphirra continued to look over her shoulder. She was in a total fright.

"Here she is. Saphirra …" King called out nervously. He too knew that her odds of winning a match, a Grudge Match, where the rules were anything goes, against Kenny were slim to none. JR, however, had no such sympathy for the former Shamrock.

"Man you talk about a Jezebel."

"I don't think I would come out here right now …" King warned with caution.

Kenny could be very unpredictable, especially when he absently went off into that zone of his. And knowing all what Saphirra had done to him in recent weeks, he literally had all the time in the world to deliver a very harsh and stern "lesson" to his little sister.

"Looking over her shoulder and rightfully so. Ryan Shamrock, this metamorphosis over the past few weeks," JR said on commentary. "She should _not_ have put her brother through all that she has. She had no reason whatsoever."

"Yeah, but she should not come out here right now. I don't … this is not … this is not a good idea. Saphirra, he's after you."

Making it to the ring safely and asking for a microphone from the ring announcer, Saphirra called out to her brother, "Ok, Kenny, I know that you're in the back looking for me. But I just want to say that, that what happened between you and I over these past few weeks, it's … it's a family issue, Kenny. It's a family matter. We should not … we should not entertain all these stupid ingrates here in Boston with our personal drama, Kenny."

Garnering a large number of boos from the crowd, who pelted her with "slut" chants in retaliation, Saphirra, looking around at the crowd in the FleetCenter with disgust, went on to say, "Kenny, I know I've done some messed up things to you in the past. And I know ... I know I may have said and done some nasty things to you in the past, Kenny, but I never … I never wished you any harm. I never wanted anything bad to happen to you, Kenny, I know how much you love me!"

"I think she's lying!" JR stated matter of factly on commentary.

"What?!" King asked sympathetically in return.

While King may have had sympathy for Saphirra and what she was about to go through, JR certainly did not.

In his opinion, a woman who loved her brother as much as Saphirra was currently proclaiming would have never done all of the things that she had done to him, from Backlash to now. To JR, Saphirra was only attempting to get out of her match with Kenny nothing more, nothing less.

Back in the office however, Stephanie watched on in agonizing horror. Despite the fact that she and Saphirra had to go through their personal drama with each other, Stephanie considered all of their issues a thing of the past now. In her estimation, booking a female, untrained talent against a man like Kenny Shamrock was barbaric, and was the exact reason why Austin should _not_ have been named the new WWF Commissioner.

Taker, however, knowing just how much Saphirra was in over her head, as well, looked over at the Acolytes, tossing his head towards the door once again.

"I'm sorry, Kenny!" Saphirra pleaded, but as Kenny's music piped throughout the speakers throughout the arena, her pleas had ultimately fallen on deaf ears.

"I think that woman's lying!" JR stated again, while Saphirra's eyes zeroed in on her brother marching to the ring!

"Oh, no!"

"And yes indeed, there should be some hell to pay. And here comes 'The World's Most Dangerous Man,' coming to get him a piece of his sister!" exclaimed JR, as Saphirra, sliding under the bottom ring rope as Kenny entered it, attempted to to hightail it back into the dressing room area, while Kenny gave chase.

"Get out of there, Saphirra!" King shouted. He could not believe that Kenny was chasing his own sister!

"And that Jezebel, running for her proverbial skin …"

"Get away … aah!" but once again, King was unable to finish his sentence, because as Saphirra was running back up the ramp, Kenny managed to catch her by her hair!

"Aw, this sibling rivalry is continuing here!"

"Kenny … Ken wait … Kenny!" Saphirra pleaded, while her brother forcefully threw his baby sister back into the ring by her hair.

"This woman has pushed her big brother way too far!"

"JR, this is about to be another case of sibling abuse."

Seeing her brother re-enter the ring, Saphirra attempted to crawl back under the bottom rope, but Kenny instantly caught her by the waistband of her pants, as the referee signaled for the bell! The Grudge Match, essentially Shamrock versus Shamrock, had officially begun!

Grabbing for anything to sustain her from being dragged like a piece of meat, Saphirra held on to the bottom ring rope, only for her bare behind, in only a black thong, to be exposed from Kenny's iron tight hold on the waistband of her pants, as crowd at home and in Boston got a birds eye view of Saphirra's backside!

With the force of Kenny's pull being too much for her, Saphirra's grip on the ring rope loosened, and Kenny, bending down, managed to grab his sister by the hair again, bring her back up to eye level, while she screamed for mercy.

"I don't know what's about to happen. But whatever it is, this woman deserves it," JR maintained.

"No. Unhand her!" demanded King.

Looking around at the crowd, incensed, while Saphirra's face was contorted in pain from the grip that Kenny had on her hair, she was suddenly thrown stomach first down onto the mat, while Kenny looked to perform the Ankle Lock on his sister!

Grabbing her by the foot, Kenny was just about to execute the excruciating maneuver, but the Acolytes, Farooq and Bradshaw, with steel folding chairs in hand, rushed the ring, attacking Shamrock with both foreign objects, as Saphirra scooted out of harm's way, watching from the bottom turnbuckle as the Acolytes systematically destroyed Kenny.

In shock from nearly being put in the Ankle Lock, with Shamrock lying in pain on the canvas, Farooq and Bradshaw ordered Saphirra on top of her brother! Quickly gaining her footing again, before laying over Kenny's beaten body, as the referee counted the pin!

"Are you kidding me?" JR asked in disgust. Thanks to the Acolytes, Saphirra had just pinned "The World's Most Dangerous Man!"

But even with the referee holding Saphirra's hand in victory, the Acolytes were far from finished with Kenny, as they continued to assault away at the defenseless Shamrock, with blow after blow from both steel chairs!

"Wait a minute, JR, do you not realized what's happening? This is brilliant!" King surmised, seemingly overjoyed that Saphirra may have set up her brother.

"Brilliant my ass! It's sick! That's her own flesh and blood, for God's sake!" JR spewed, disgusted at the actions transpiring in the ring.

"What a scheme!"

"It's sick!"

"What do you mean it's sick? What strategy! Saphirra's undefeated in the WWF," King realized laughingly.

As both men held Shamrock by the arms, Bradshaw encouraged Saphirra to pick up one of the downed folding chairs. Bending down, taunting her brother before she did so, Saphirra was about to bring the steel chair right down onto her brother's head, until Big Boss Man, Shamrock's tag partner for the WWF Titles at King of the Ring, rushed to his partner's aid.

"Wait, look who's coming down to the ring!" King shouted. "The Boss Man!"

Running to the ring in full force, the Big Boss Man, with his nightstick in hand, flew into the ring from under the bottom rope, running off the Ministry trio, but the damage had been done, as Shamrock was lying in the middle of the ring in a nearly broken heap.

"This is damn pathetic! Was this a setup? Has Shamrock been set up here?" JR wondered, sick at what he had just witnessed.

"I don't know, but look at Saphirra's face. She's beaming! Look how proud his own sister is."

As the three walked back up the ramp, looking down at the damage that they caused, Saphirra, holding up the hands of the Acolytes, taunted at her brother, who was only stirring in the ring, "The real tag champs, right here!"

* * *

><p>After Ivory challenged Debra to a Women's Title match next week on Raw, Mankind, Mick Foley, took on "The Ninth Wonder of the World", Chyna, with both Triple H and Shawn Michaels accompanying her to the ring.<p>

While Chyna started at a distinct disadvantage against the deranged superstar, the match quickly turned into a handicap affair, after numerous interferences between Hunter and HBK. However, once Mankind cinched in the Mandible Claw on Chyna, Triple H and HBK ultimately ran in for the save, savagely attacking Mankind.

Even with officials in the ring, Shawn, after sliding in a sledgehammer from under the ring to Triple H, the three DX members attacked the surgically repaired knee of Mankind, crippling Foley, undoubtedly a message to the Rock later on in the evening.

* * *

><p>It was getting later in the show, and Stephanie was seeking out Saphirra. While she had gone to bat for Saphirra earlier in the night, she had no idea that she and the Acolytes would do what they were done to Kenny.<p>

Despite all that she had gone through in recent months, and despite the fact that her last name was now legally Calaway, Stephanie still had a soft spot in her heart for Kenny.

Kenny was the only member of the original Corporation to stand by Vince when Shane and the rest of the faction defected from him. Kenny was also the only person who even bothered coming to her rescue, after Mark and the Ministry had her stowed away in that God forsaken boiler room.

True, she didn't want Kenny to hurt his sister, but what Saphirra and the Acolytes had done was beyond vile, and now, as Stephanie was passing through the hallways of the FleetCenter, she was hearing that Kenny was in the trainer's room possibly suffering from a very serious arm injury, after he attempted to cover up from the vicious blows he received from those two steel chairs at the hands of the Acolytes.

And now, Stephanie wanted answers. She felt used. Was this a plan that Mark and the Ministry had concocted all along? Had she really gotten herself worked up over the well-being of Saphirra and this was all a trap to help the Acolytes retain their tag titles at King of the Ring?

"Hey, Steph!"

Turning her head in the opposite direction, breaking up the monotony of her thoughts, Stephanie saw Gabby from hair and makeup running in her direction quickly.

Despite the fact that Gabby was a fuller sized woman, she was the envy of women everywhere. Just her mere presence and how she carried herself exuded a woman of pure confidence, not to mention the fact that she was absolutely drop dead gorgeous. She had the big hair and hips that Stephanie often dreamed about.

The last time Stephanie had even seen Gabby, she had solemnly confessed what she had done to X-Pac, Kane, and company, so they were well overdue for another friendly chit chat. As Gabby neared, the two ladies embraced for what seemed to be ages. Stephanie really did miss Gabby and a lot of other things and people she often didn't get so do and see anymore now that she was married to Mark.

"Jesus, girl, look at you. What are you wearing?"

Blushing, looking down at her attire, even though she herself thought she looked fine for a change, more grown up, Stephanie replied bashfully, "Oh … well. Wasn't … you know … like my decision, you know?"

"No, no, no," Gabby started, while holding Stephanie's hands, looking her up and down. "I think you look fantastic!"

Shocked, Stephanie, biting her lower lip, replied, "You do?"

_"Wow! This is a first!"_

"Yeah. Bout time you caught up with the rest of the 90s!"

Hearing this from Gabby of all people meant a lot to Steph.

From the moment she switched up her hair and her outfits, Stephanie had received so many distraught and funny looks from her peers at the shows that she was honestly rethinking this whole revision look of hers. But now that Gabby had complimented her on her new look, and since she knew a thing or two about fashion, Stephanie actually felt pretty good about herself.

"I mean, is this a Mark thing or is this a Stephanie finally growing up thing?" Gabby asked quizzically.

Gabby had known Stephanie for many years, and even in the past, she had tried in vain to convince her to dress more like she would have if she wasn't the daughter of Vince and Linda McMahon. Unfortunately, with her upbringing, that was simply out of the question.

She liked Stephanie's look, but if Mark was the one forcing her to dress like this against Stephanie's will, then she'd have to retract her earlier statements.

"It's a Mark thing," Stephanie replied near truthfully.

While Mark _had_ been the one to encourage her to dress more like her age, Stephanie found that now, without her husband's backing, she dressed more like the Tyra Banks' and Claudia Schiffer's in their VOGUE Magazine spreads on her own. And it didn't help that Stephanie and Kristen had nearly raided all of Neiman Marcus, Saks, and just about every other department store they could find for all the latest fashion trends on their shopping spree of just last week.

With her height, Stephanie honestly thought that she pulled off some of her looks flawlessly, despite the fact that still had a lot of insecurities about her breast size. She'd have to deal with those later. More than likely in the office of a plastic surgeon after the baby was born, since Mark had given Stephanie his blessings.

"I mean, if it's one good thing that can come out of all that, it's this …"

And with the joke, the two laughed, and laughed for what seemed to be ages. This is exactly what Stephanie missed. Gabby was a riot. The two of them in the past spent a lot of great times together, and in the middle of a hallway no less, they were sharing another classic moment between themselves as friends.

As their laughter waned, Gabby then said, "But, if there's one person who's not exactly thrilled with your new look, it's Test."

Confused, turning her head slightly, Stephanie asked confusingly, "Andrew?"

As Gabby nodded confirmation, Stephanie then asked, "I mean … why is Andrew … I mean, he told me earlier that he thought my look was forced, but …"

"Yeah, that's what he told me, too," Gabby added. "That's why I had to come looking for you since I didn't see you earlier. I think it's a much needed improvement, but he told me …"

Looking around, nervous that Taker or any other member of the Ministry was somewhere lurking off in the shadows, overhearing their conversation, Gabby leaned over and told Stephanie, "You know that blank check thing Austin gave Test, Mankind, Big Show, and the rest of them?"

Nodding, still confused, Stephanie replied, "Yeah," before Gabby said. "Well, right before I came over here, I saw a format. Test plans on calling you out to the ring."

Shocked, completely forgetting about Saphirra now, Stephanie, as her voice rose, asked surprisingly, "Me!? Why … why is he going to call out me?"

But, before Gabby had the chance to answer, the two ladies were momentarily distracted by Test's music playing throughout the arena. He was clearly making his way down to the ring, and Stephanie still had no idea why he wanted _her_ down to the ring for his segment.

As the two ladies fought their way into the Gorilla Position, where Sgt. Slaughter, Tony Garrea, and other officials had all gathered, Stephanie and Gabby watched on a monitor as Test grabbed a microphone in the ring.

"Thanks to Commissioner Austin," started Test. "Guys like me, Mankind, Shamrock, we can ask for whatever we want here tonight. And while things might not have panned out well before, for me, there's only person who I want in this ring here tonight."

Looking around the Boston crowd for a split second, gathering his courage, Test then asked quite frankly, "Stephanie McMahon, will you come down here, please?"

As both JR and King asked, "What?" confusingly on announcements, while King asked even more befuddled, "What is this?", Stephanie back in the Gorilla Position was shocked beyond belief. Test was actually calling her out to the ring, just as Gabby had warned!

She didn't know if this was for a match or whatever else, but the fact that Andrew had grabbed a microphone during live on-air time, and called out the wife of the Undertaker …

Before she could fully comprehend what Test was doing or even attempting to do, Gabby began excitedly nudging Stephanie up through the curtain.

Because Gabby had known both Test and Stephanie for a very long time, even when Test was a security guard for the band, Mötley Crüe, she realized that the only thing that was keeping Test and Stephanie apart at one point was the fact that both Vince and Shane vehemently denied Stephanie the opportunity to date a member of the roster.

But now that those two were out of the picture, and Stephanie was allegedly in a very unhappy and quite forced marriage with the Undertaker of all people, Gabby figured that there'd be no better time for Stephanie to branch off and begin her a _real_ romance of her own.

Gabby figured that since Mark already had the company, which is what he really wanted all along, and since she knew how Taker was only using her for the time being to get rid of the McMahon clan, why not allow Stephanie to truly be with whom she really wanted to be with?

Before Stephanie could even protest, however, a production assistant, Lorn, was getting word from Kevin Dunn through his headset to have Stephanie walk down to ringside!

Pulling her up the stairs, before she even knew it, Stephanie was walking through the curtain, receiving a huge pop from the Boston crowd! She looked like a deer in headlights she was so shocked, as she continued walking down the ramp to a glowing Test.

"He's not going to wrestle her, is he?" King asked, in utter confusion.

King had already had his fill of man of woman violence for the night, and if Test was going to attempt to fight the lovely Stephanie McMahon, whom he had personally known every since she was an infant, then he would personally have to put a stop to the match.

"I don't know what Test has on his mind, quite frankly," JR answered.

"I don't get it," said Lawler again. "What could Test possibly want with Stephanie?"

Walking up the steps, attempting to hide the fact that she was both nervous and a bit intrigued by being calling out to the ring, Test, with braun showmanship, opened the bottom ring rope high for Stephanie, allowing her to enter.

As Stephanie looked around at the very loud crowd, hardly able to even hear herself think, Test, speaking into the microphone said, "Stephanie, believe me. We all know it's been a rough couple of months. And I know your dead ass 'husband' back there, he might not like this, but it's something that he's just going to have to get over."

With both of them looking around at the crowd again, Stephanie's heart nearly pounding out of her chest, Test continued.

"Like I told you earlier in the back, when I saw you, this … this is not you," Test said, noting Stephanie's attire again, while JR added, "Certainly is not," on commentary.

"Steph, be honest. Undertaker's got you dressing differently, he's got you acting differently, and I'm a man. I told you, if you were _my_ woman, you'd _never_ have to worry about _not_ being yourself."

As the crowd began to liven up even more, with Stephanie's face a mixture of surprise and anticipation, as King asked, "_His_ woman? The Undertaker's woman, isn't it?", Test added finally, "Stephanie."

Taking off his sunglasses and bending down to one knee, grabbing Stephanie's hand gently, as King was nearly beside himself on commentary, Test asked Stephanie emphatically, "Will you give me the honor of going out with me on a date?"

If the crowd in Boston was any indication, then Stephanie's answer should have certainly been an emphatic yes. They were all, in light of all of which had happened to Stephanie, one hundred percent behind her agreeing to Test's request for a date, and knowing all what she had been through, Test felt that with all his being that Stephanie would agree to go out with him.

For Stephanie, it was one thing for Test to profess to her backstage how he still had feelings for her, then nearly having a confrontation with her husband, but it was entirely different thing to do so in front of a sold out crowd in Boston and in front of millions of people watching from home!

Test, holding the microphone up to Stephanie's mouth, awaiting her answer, looked up at Stephanie with not only a glimmer in his eye, but a burning desire of hope, as well.

Steph, mentally disjointed, didn't know what to think or what to say. She didn't want to reveal her true feelings for her husband in front of everyone; that would ruin all of their planning, but if she said no, what would people think? And most importantly, what would people think of her?

Pressing her lips together and leaning into the microphone, about to respond to Test's public affirmation of love so to speak, Stephanie's answer came definitively when her husband's entrance music began playing, and the lights to the arena all but went out, causing Stephanie to nearly bolt from the ring! She knew that nothing good could come from this.

With both Test and Stephanie looking at the entrance ramp of the set, surprisingly, no one came out. There was no Undertaker, there was no Paul Bearer, nor any other members of the Ministry. All that was there, and seemingly surrounding the both of them up in the ring, was Taker's ominous presence, his aura, without him even physically being there, which sent chills down Stephanie's spine, which only meant one thing to Stephanie.

Slowly slipping her hand away, looking back between the set and Test frantically, who was still on bended knee, Stephanie dipped her head below the bottom ring rope, walked down the steel steps, and back up the ramp, as the crowd actually began booing.

Looking back at Test, who was now standing at his normal six foot plus height, while Taker's music continued to play, Stephanie disappeared through the curtain, as Test watched Stephanie disappear, disheartened and disappointed.

* * *

><p>Making a feeling out of the Gorilla Position and back into the locker room area, with Gabby quickly following her, Stephanie was in a panic.<p>

She had no idea that Test was going to ask her out on a date. And even though she was admittedly intrigued by Test's admitted admiration for her, she was all too aware of the fact that with Mark seemingly answering her own question for her, without him even being anywhere near the ring, signaled danger, maybe not so much for her, but definitely for Test.

And when really started pondering her scenario, maybe this did mean danger for her, as well.

Mark had a hell of a temper, and she had seen and _felt_ the brunt of this temper on one too many occasions. And after accusing Mark of cheating on her with the likes Saphirra and Angel, she could only imagine how he would feel or what he would think about her now that the shoe was on the other foot.

Nearly running through the backstage area, Gabby, grabbing Stephanie's arm, was attempting to make sense out of all of this.

"Stephanie, Steph, wait … wait up! What's wrong?" Gabby asked yelling, attempting to keep up with Stephanie's rapid pace. Stephanie knew that she had to get back to the office and get back to the office quickly. She had to attempt to explain herself as best as possible before she _and_ Test became the latest victims of the Undertaker and the Ministry.

"Steph, what … slow down. What's wrong?!"

"Gab, you just saw … I had no idea …"

Finally grabbing Stephanie by the upper arm, stopping her, Gabby, out of breath nearly, replied hastily, "Steph, Test likes you. He likes you. You want to be out of that 'marriage' to Mark anyway. What's the problem?"

Turning around to meet the worried eyes of her friend, Stephanie replied shakily, "Gabby, you … you know how he is. When he gets mad …"

"He's not going to put his hands on you! I'll see to that myself!" Gabby stated matter of factly. She knew that Mark could be a loose cannon, but if he even attempted to physically hurt Stephanie, then Gabby, a black belt in karate, would have no problem interjecting herself, especially since she was the one who even encouraged Stephanie to meet Test in the middle of the ring in the first place.

Looking around the hall anxiously, Stephanie was now a shivering wreck. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach all those weeks ago that with Mark asking her to deceive the locker room, a day like this one would come.

Because Test perceived Stephanie to be in "real" danger, he had asked her out on a date in front of millions of people. And now, with Mark's vicious mean streak, Stephanie was afraid for his livelihood as well as her own. Her scalp was still tender from the last "punishment" she received at the hands of her husband.

Shaking her head furiously, nervous, worried, confused, Stephanie replied, "I mean … I mean with Andrew. Gab … I've seen him mad. You saw what he's done to Austin, my dad, Shane, even my mom. No one's safe when he's not himself."

"Hello! Steph? When is he ever 'himself'?" Gabby rationalized.

Even though Gabby was more behind the scenes than front office, she had literally watched as Mark transformed from the locker room general, a man whom the young talent could come to for advice, to a selfish prick who would use and abuse any and everyone just in order to get his way. Mark had made Stephanie a pawn in his sick and twisted mental chess game, and all Gabby wanted now was to see Stephanie truly happy.

"I mean, you just named off all the people he has tried to permanently injure. I mean, why stay with a guy like that? He already has your father's company. What else could he possibly want? He doesn't love you. He should just let you be with whomever it is that you want to be with, and I honestly feel that Test is the guy for you."

Looking up into the ceiling, while Stephanie completely understood Gabby's frustrations, she just couldn't, no badly how she wanted to, inform her of what she and Mark had arranged. Gabby, and all the rest of the world, would absolutely hate her.

Plus, Stephanie truly did feel that within her heart of hearts that, despite him never telling her so, that Mark truly did love her. He just had his own way of showing his affection, she surmised.

And even if Mark didn't, Stephanie knew that for a man like Test to brazenly ask a married woman like herself out on a date, when that married woman was the wife to a very changed Undertaker, that the outcome of all of this could be catastrophic, and Stephanie didn't want Test getting hurt because of her. She couldn't live with herself if anything happened to him on her behalf.

"I mean, Gab, I know … I know … but … not right now. Ok? I have to find Mark … let's … let's just talk later."

And with that, Stephanie ran down the hall, back in the direction of the office, leaving Gabby standing there dumbfounded, dodging various people and equipment crowding the backstage area, attempting to get back to Mark in time enough before he hurt Test.

_"How am I going to explain willingly walking to the ring to take the offer of another man's hand to go on a date? He's going to kill me!" _Stephanie thought to herself worryingly, as she once again arrived back outside of the office.

Stopping just before walking in, Stephanie attempted to compose herself. She had to think of a lie and think of a lie quickly in order for her get herself out of this mess.

_"But what about Andrew? Mark is going to kill him, too!"_

With uneasy stomach, nearly almost perspiring from nearly running a marathon to get back to the office in time, split with nervousness, Stephanie, gathering her thoughts, or better yet, what was left of them, turned the knob to the office door, declaring as she walked inside, "Baby, I can explain. I had no idea that Te …"

Looking around, Stephanie realized that no one from the Ministry, not Taker, not the Acolytes, not even Saphirra, no one was inside of the office's confinements. There wasn't even a note left for her. Everyone had already left, sending Stephanie's brain into overdrive.

_"Shit! I'm too late!"_

Before Stephanie left the office to search out Saphirra, Mark was readying for his match against the Big Show, but now that the office was empty, Stephanie's mind went into machine overload.

_"Oh, my God, they're going after Andrew!"_ she thought to herself menacingly.

With both hands planted firmly in her hair, Stephanie tried to rationalize her situation.

On one hand, if Stephanie went looking for the Ministry, and she found that they somewhere were beating up Andrew, then she would never forgive herself. Stephanie just felt that all of this was her fault.

_"Had I just been honest with him …"_

And if she left the office again, searching for Test once more, then she'd probably be in even more trouble. Mark was not a man who forgave and forgot that quickly. Mark would probably think, especially after she had confessed to him that she and Test were only friends, that Stephanie had feelings for him, and that certainly wasn't the case.

She only had eyes for her husband. Was she interested in Test had to ask of her? Yes, but that didn't mean that she had feelings for him, that she wanted him. Stephanie's last name now was Calaway and she wanted to honor that as much as possible. Cheating wasn't a viable option for her.

But on the other hand, if Stephanie stayed in the office, then Test could be in a lot of danger, and if she could stop a beating, then that would absolutely help her sleep better at night. Knowing she had a hand in another man being attacked had already played hopscotch with her conscience once, and she never wanted to feel like a dirty, backstabbing vixen ever again.

That wasn't her. Especially in light of the fact that she once had a major crush on Test and everything he revealed to her on this night.

Gathering her courage once again, Stephanie was just about to bolt from the office, but as soon as she opened the door, she ran right into Saphirra instead, the force of them bumping into each other scaring Stephanie so badly that her hand immediately flew to her stomach.

"Jesus Christ, Greenwich, where the hell you running to!?" Saphirra asked loudly, as she rubbed her temple from the head on collision the two women just had.

Desperate for answers, happy that it was only Saphirra in the door now and not Mark, Stephanie, grabbing Saphirra by both arms, shaking her almost, asked hurriedly, "Saphirra, please, what have the Ministry done with Test?"

Feeling a sharp pain shoot throughout her arms from the intensity of Stephanie's grip, Saphirra managed to pull herself away from the frantic Stephanie, asking, "Whoa, wait a second, McMahon. What in the hell are you talking about?"

"The Ministry … Test … I mean … where's Mark? What have they done to him?"

"What have they done to Test?" Saphirra asked curiously, not at first sure whom Stephanie was referring to.

"Yes!" Stephanie found herself screaming. She hated raising her voice, especially against Saphirra, who could honestly flip at any moment, but at the moment, time was not on her side, and she desperately needed answers. Andrew's well-being literally depended on it.

"Jeez, no need to yell," Saphirra added sarcastically, yanking at her bottom ear lobe. Cleary she wasn't taking Stephanie's near hysteria seriously.

"Look, as far as I know, nothing has happened to Test. _Yet_. Just calm down. Oh, and you need to stay right here. I saw what happened out there, and if I were you, Steph, I wouldn't rush trouble," Saphirra warned.

But something about the way that Saphirra said the word "yet" disturbed Stephanie.

If the Ministry hadn't as of the present assaulted Test, then in Stephanie's mind, with Saphirra's telling stress of the word "yet", then they certainly had every intention of doing so, and she just couldn't allow that to happen. She felt she had to do something in order to make things right.

"But they're going to …"

"Look, you can go looking for the rest of the Ministry if you want to," Saphirra interrupted. "_But_, I just think it's best if you let Test handle his own problems. I mean, he _did_ call you down to the ring and you _did_ go, so, whatever Test gets for all that, in my opinion, he has it coming."

Appalled, still attempting to figure out how Saphirra could continue to be so cruel and heartless, Stephanie spat, "Of course, you think that. Look at what you did to your own brother tonight!"

"Yeah, Steph I did, and you know what, I'm _proud_ of what I did tonight. Trying to put me in an Ankle Lock? Kenny had it coming. But at least I own my own shit. Who are you married to? The way you're running after Test makes me think you want him or something," Saphirra argued.

Shaking her head profusely, Stephanie answered angrily, "I don't want Andrew! He's a just a friend and I don't want to see him get hurt!"

"Well your 'friend' just so happened to ask the wife of the owner of this company out on a date in front of millions of people," Saphirra noted, as Stephanie began pacing around the room again, an utter and complete nervous wreck.

"You know and I know that your husband is not going to take lightly to this at all. He's not anyone's second place, Steph. So my advice to you, woman to woman, is to stay here. If you go looking for trouble, trust, you're going to find it, and no, you won't like end results, either."

Not truly knowing what to do, where to turn, or where to go for that matter, Stephanie, frustrated, hardly able to believe that she had found herself in yet another telling predicament such as this, flopped down on the couch hard, placing her hands in her hair, at a total loss yet again.

* * *

><p>It was now time for first ever Cast match between the Rock and Triple H.<p>

Stephanie, sitting next to Saphirra in the office, watched on the monitor as Helmsley, with the help of Chyna and HBK, comically tried to to walk down to the ring in a full leg cast without falling.

But even though she was watching the start of the match, her mind was literally elsewhere. Stephanie was still very much in shock about what had just happened between she and Test.

Despite the fact that Test had asked her out in front of millions of people, besides Saphirra, Stephanie hadn't heard a peep out of the Ministry. Taker had failed to return to the office, as well, and all Stephanie could envision was Test, maybe out in the parking garage somewhere, getting the life nearly beaten out of him by the Ministry, and it was all her fault.

_"I should have just been honest with him. I should have just said no. I should have never gone down to that ring? What is Mark going to do to him? What is Mark going to do to me?"_

While Stephanie truly felt that Andrew was a great guy, he wasn't the guy for her at the moment, and would probably never be after she found herself now suddenly happily married. Had Test asked Stephanie out right after that farce of a wedding, she would have gladly accepted. She would have said yes in a heartbeat. But now, the tables had turned.

Stephanie truly loved her husband, despite what everyone else thought of him. She loved being Mrs. Calaway. She loved her new life in Houston. She loved April and Zeus. She was even making friends now. She didn't even look at Test the same as she had done some months prior.

Sure, Stephanie felt a sudden jolt of butterflies when Test confronted her earlier in the hallway, but that was to be expected when confronted by what could have been an old flame, she felt. And even if there was something legitimately there, as long as Stephanie didn't act on her feelings, then she felt that she was fine. She didn't believe in adultery.

She only had eyes for Mark, but since she couldn't articulate that without giving herself away, she now ran the risk of putting Test in a lot of danger. Mark's mean streak was well-documented. He considered hurting people a sport, a hobby, something "fun" that he could do in his free time, and now, Stephanie just knew that Test had positioned himself directly in harm's way.

And it was because of this that Stephanie's conscience was eating her alive. She couldn't fathom something happening to Andrew on her behalf. The guilt associated with having Test beaten up was starting to eat her alive. She felt horrible.

Fortunately for her, however, Stephanie's questions about the whereabouts of Taker were soon answered, and it didn't involve Andrew, either.

Watching on the monitor, after the Rock delivered a stiff chair shot right into the back of Triple H, before delivering to him a Rock Bottom, "The People's Champion", placed the foreign object right over the face of Hunter, wanting to maim Helmsley just as he had done to Mick Foley earlier in the night.

Sliding off his elbow pad and throwing it into the crowd, the Rock was about to deliver a People's Elbow right onto Triple H, the steel undoubtedly crushing his face had it made contact, but Shawn, jumping onto the ring ropes, momentarily distracted his former Corporation protégé.

This was no matter to Rocky, however, who reached all the way back and decked Shawn right in jaw, knocking HBK down to the mat below, as Chyna attempted to help him regain his footing.

But then, sliding under the bottom ring rope was the Undertaker, who grabbed Rocky around his throat, throwing him into the air and back down again with a thunderous Chokeslam, as the referee once again called for the bell in a disqualification.

People had seen Taker enter the locker room of DX, but why was he now attacking the Rock?

Despite the Rocky squirming around the ring in pain, with the heart of a Brahma Bull, attempting to pick himself back up, Taker obviously wasn't done with the Rock.

As Helmsley rolled out of the ring with the help of Chyna and HBK, Taker, placing the steel chair in the middle of the ring, scooped Rocky's prone body up off the mat, and dropped "The Great One" right on top of his head on the awaiting steel chair, while HBK hoorayed and literally jumped for joy on the outside of the ring, just as juvenile and childish as ever.

"Get em Taker, get him! Woof, woof, woof!" yelled HBK mimicked from the outside of the ring.

Looking over the Rock's fallen body, Taker most definitely had more punishment in mind for "The People's Champion", had it not been for the Big Show, who was still scheduled to meet Taker later in the night for the WWF Championship, running down to the ring to get him a piece of the Deadman, scattering DX off in the process, as Hunter wobbled back up the ramp to safety.

As the Big Show slid under the bottom ring rope, instead of Taker getting it on with the seven foot athlete right then and there, he decided to take his leave instead, not giving the 500-pounder the confrontation that he desperately sought.

The Big Show had yet to forget about all the times that Taker had nearly concussed him, not once, but twice with a baseball bat. He wanted to get him a piece of the Phenom, and he wanted to take his title away from him in the process.

Taker, however, crossing his thumb over his neck and walking back up the ramp, signaled that the end would come sooner rather than later for the Big Show, before departing through the staging area. Big Show, however, not able to wait, as the Rock stumbled back to his feet on the outside of the ring, walked back up the ramp behind Taker.

"The Largest Athlete in the World" wanted the Phenom!

* * *

><p>After successfully defending his Hardcore Title against Droz, in a bar of all places, it was now time for the main event: The Big Show versus the World Wrestling Federation Champion, the Undertaker.<p>

Even though Saphirra and Stephanie were both on the edge of their seats in anticipation for this match, after all, Stephanie did want to see her husband retain his title, she still had yet to speak with Taker after being called out to the ring by Test. And this is what worried her the most.

Obviously, Mark had also seen what had happened between she and Andrew, but Stephanie found it odd that Mark, with his notorious temper, had to yet to confront Stephanie about what he would for sure view as disloyalty, both to him as the leader of the Ministry and as Stephanie's husband.

But yet, he hadn't once returned to the office, and this made Stephanie white with trepidation and the waiting alone was turning Stephanie nearly inside out.

Every time someone passed the office door, knocked on it, or even when Saphirra would make a sudden movement, Stephanie, a ball of nerves, would jump in her seat. She had even managed to break the glass of water she was holding after Saphirra placed a simple hand on her shoulder, sending shattered shards of glass and water all around them, causing Saphirra to yell and curse out from the clear frustration of having the anxious Stephanie in her presence.

Knowing her husband's temper, Stephanie knew that Mark more than likely had something planned for revenge. There was no other way around that scenario, but why was he waiting?

Was this part of one of those well-organized schemes of his, forcing Stephanie to mentally think of all the repercussions that would follow her public rendezvous with Test? Mark was the master of manipulation and mental warfare. Maybe he _wanted_ to make Stephanie afraid of what was to come.

Attempting to look into the mind of Mark Calaway, The Undertaker was maddening, and Stephanie realized that she was better off simply watching the match between he and the Big Show instead of wondering what Mark would soon be capable of. She'd drive herself insane before she truly break into her husband's thoughts.

But since Taker and Paul Bearer were now walking to the ring to fight the Big Show in the main event title match, Stephanie's mind, for whatever reason, even with the threat of Taker losing his championship being very real, began to ease a small amount. She now had confirmation that Mark wasn't beating up a defenseless Test, _if_ he already hadn't.

Before Taker could even get his title off of his waist, the Big Show came charging at the Phenom, but Taker, ducking, quickly hit Show with rights and lefts to the face, a clear violation of the WWF's closed fist policy. The ref, warning Taker of this, was quickly ran out of the ring by the menacing Phenom, as Taker swung his belt off his waist.

But things quickly turned in the favor of the Big Show, who managed to get a foot up to block Taker's charge in the turnbuckle, before turning the Phenom inside out with a Clothesline.

But before long, the match, which was a must win for Taker, started to go back and forth between both men. Big Show early on attempted a Chokeslam, but Taker delivered a blind blow to the groin with his foot, as Paul Bearer distracted the referee.

As the match drifted to the outside of the ring, both men tried to annihilate each other, but between rakes to the eyes and thuds to the announce table, Taker quickly gained the advantage.

Things turned back in the favor for the Big Show, after Taker, making a costly mistake, climbing the top turnbuckle, was caught almost in midair, as the Show brought down the Deadman with a gigantic Chokeslam, slamming the Phenom right through the ring and into the equipment below!

It was a moment that no one in the company had anticipated, as both Stephanie and Saphirra in the locker room gasped, along with the other 17,000 plus fans in the FleetCenter! Big Show, looking down at the destroyed ring, enraged, even began stomping Taker down below the ring even further, showing his true strength and domination over the WWE Champion, who had yet to rise from the rubble of the what used to be the ring!

With the Ministry, the Acolytes and Mideon, running down to the ring to help the Lord of Darkness, all of them receiving a Chokeslam for their troubles, Taker and Paul Bearer, managed to escape with the title undetected by "The World's Largest Athlete", as Raw finally came to a the last image of the night showing the Big Show roaring with anger, wanting to get more of the Phenom!


	80. An Issue with Trust

"Just breathe honey. Take slow, deep breaths. You're almost there," Stephanie heard Dr. Patrick-Graves gently say to her, as she lay back on the examination table in pain, as her assistant, Mona, was rubbing Stephanie's hair and forehead gently.

"Oh, my God, it hurts!" Stephanie exclaimed loudly, looking up at the bright lights of the exam room, which were honestly giving her a headache. She had never felt a pain like this before in her entire life. It was excruciating. It felt as if someone were tugging on her insides.

Stephanie had survived the pneumonia, survived being abducted, survived her one and only spanking, but the pain she was feeling in her vagina at the present was nearly unbearable.

"Just breathe, Mrs. Calaway. You're doing great," soothed Dr. Patrick-Graves again. "Your husband is here. Just squeeze his hand if you need to."

The thing about this was, Stephanie was already squeezing Mark's hand, to the point where she felt as if she might break it she was clutching down on it so hard. She just wanted this whole horrible experience to be over and done with.

She was screaming so loudly that she just knew that the other patients outside the exam room could undoubtedly hear her, but Stephanie didn't care at the moment. All she wanted was this thing out of her!

"Good, good. We're almost finished. We're just going to slide this out of you now, ok?"

Managing to turn her head for only a moment, as her husband was massaging her hand, Stephanie watched Mark look on with concern. This, like Stephanie, was the first time Mark had ever experienced anything quite like this, so he was just an unprepared as she was.

"Please … just … just get this thing out of me!" Stephanie screamed.

Stephanie always envisioned herself being a mother. Even when she was a little girl, Stephanie always wanted to raise a family of her own. She remembered when she used to play dress up, and her stuffed teddy bear, the one Mark had set on fire, Bernie, was her soon to be groom. She even used two of her other stuffed animals as her makeshift babies, as well. She would feed, clothe, and watch over her stuffed animal family as if they were her own actual family.

But just like that horrible morning sickness, no one had informed Stephanie that going through pain like this would be part of the wonderful world of pregnancy. Somehow, pain like this was never mentioned around her, probably for good reason, she thought.

Her back was in an arch, her insides were being stretched to what she felt was beyond all reasonable imagination, and she was even beginning to perspire around her neck. All she could see when she wasn't looking up at those horrible bright lights were her bare feet at the base of the table, settled into two contraptions called stirrups.

Dr. Patrick-Graves was still below Stephanie's hospital gown, and although she had promised that this entire process would only take a few minutes, Stephanie felt as if the pain she was experiencing had been ongoing for hours now. It was just that horrible.

"And we are done," Dr. Elise enunciated, closing the speculum and sliding it out of Stephanie's body's carefully, as she finally breathed a sigh of relief, lowering her head back to the exam table, restless.

"See. It wasn't all that bad now was it?" Dr. Patrick-Graves attempted to reason.

"Yeah, right," Stephanie answered sarcastically, out of breath, as she looked over to Mark, who continued to rub his thumb over her hand gently.

"Well," Dr. Patrick-Graves started, as she tossed her light blue surgical gloves in the sterilized trash can, washing her hands thoroughly in the sink also found in the examination room. "You certainly did better than my last patient. At least you were cooperative."

Attempting to catch her breath again, not even caring that she was still somewhat semi-exposed on the examination table, Stephanie heard Mark ask, "So what happens now?"

"Well, we're all done with the pap smear, and provided everything from the laboratory returns aye ok, we'll see you and Mrs. Calaway, or just Mrs. Calaway, every four weeks until her third trimester. And at that point, the number of visits will increase to one appointment every two weeks, until she's thirty six weeks."

"Mmm hmm. And what if what ya'll just did down there, what if it doesn't turn out ok?"

Picking up her chart, as Mona exited the exam room with Stephanie's samples, Dr. Elise answered, "If there is anything questionable in our laboratory testing, we'll schedule another pap smear here in our office. We search for HPV, the Human PapillomaVirus, STDs, and of course, cancerous cells of the cervix. She'll receive her results in the mail, but if everything is up to par, she won't have to worry about another pap smear, fortunately for our dear here, until post-pregnancy," Dr. Patrick-Graves ended, patting Stephanie on the knee.

"So," Mark found himself asking again, concerned. "That's it?"

"Yep yep," nodded Dr. Patrick-Graves. "You can help her to slip back into her clothes now. I'll be back in a moment or two."

"Doctor, can you tell me why this hurt so badly?" Stephanie managed, looking up at the ceiling, as her heart rate began to stabilize itself again. "I mean, I've had one of these before and it didn't hurt. It was uncomfortable, but this was just horrible."

"Pregnancy does different things for different women," Dr. Elise explained. "You to become tighter down there, and as such, sometimes it's a bit more uncomfortable than what you're used to. I've had pregnant women say they've experienced no pain whatsoever and other women … well … you get the idea."

Rolling her eyes heavily, Stephanie got the idea perfectly clear. Knowing the pain that she had just gone through, Stephanie wouldn't wish that feeling on her worst Samantha McCall.

"It's all over now," Dr. Patrick-Graves assured. "As long as your results come back normally, I promise, you won't have to go through another one of these for a while, ok?"

Nodding, as Dr. Patrick-Graves exited the exam room, Stephanie lay back first on the table again, exhausted. Standing over hear, partially blocking the harsh lights of from above, Mark, staring down at his wife almost as if she were a fallen angel, asked gingerly, "You ok?"

Finally regaining her breath, Stephanie replied with an arched eyebrow, "You know this all your fault, right?"

Feigning offensiveness, Mark asked sarcastically, "Why, Mrs. Calaway! Why would ever say such a thing?"

"Um, because it's the truth?" Stephanie answered, looking around the exam room, realizing that it was only she and Mark present.

"You seduced me," he answered enticingly, as he bent down to kiss Stephanie on the lips, gently helping her off the exam table and back into her clothing, giving her a small patting on her on the behind for good measure.

It was now Friday, a full four days after the events of Monday Night Raw, and a lot had transpired since then. Stephanie's original prenatal appointment was scheduled for yesterday, but since Dr. Patrick-Graves had a set of emergency twins to deliver, Stephanie was rescheduled for today. And boy was she ever grateful.

The news of her pregnancy did not go over well with Mark, for reasons other than her fear of him leaving her, and as Stephanie mentally revisited the events of this past week, from Test to the admission that she was pregnant, she was happy that today was the start of what she predicted would be a great weekend for her. She needed the mental rest.

It was Wednesday morning, and once again, Stephanie found herself slumped over a toilet, beset with morning sickness.

Although this had been a recurring theme for her, waking up every morning at 6am, vomiting, Stephanie just could not see herself getting used to doing this every morning for the next two months or so, which in truth was only a minimum estimation. It was just that God awful.

On top her having to throw up every morning, Stephanie could not help but to plague herself with the fact that after Monday's show, Mark, in a very fowl mood, didn't even speak to her on the way back to the hotel. Their interactions on the plane ride back to Houston, and the subsequent drive back home were severely limited, as well.

Even when Stephanie attempted to forge some sort of conversation between she and her husband, to gauge his thoughts so to speak, Mark would only nod or shake his head in agree or disagreement, or simply give one or two word answers.

All Mark could think about was the humiliation he felt after being nearly Chokeslammed to hell by the Big Show, and having Test proposition his wife on national television. He was livid, and that alone told Stephanie that once she and Mark got back to the hotel, that she was going to be in a world of trouble.

It was one thing for Mark to yell at Stephanie when he was upset. That she could understand. In those instances, no matter how horrible they were, at least Stephanie had a sense about how truly angry her husband was and his reasoning behind being so upset.

However, when he was perfectly calm, quiet, that is when Stephanie found herself worrying the most, because she never truly knew what to expect out of him. He was a tornado or emotions; you just never knew which direction he would go in.

Even though she didn't have anything to do with Mark and the Big Show's match, she was quite sure that Mark was going to confront her about going to the ring to meet with Test. Plus, whenever he was truly mad about one thing, Mark had an unsavory capability to lump all of his issues into one and take them out on the nearest person, and since that nearest person at the time was Stephanie, she just knew that she was going to be in for a very long night.

The one thing that shocked Stephanie the most, however, was the fact that when she and Mark returned to their hotel room, Stephanie, expecting a verbal smackdown like none other, only received absolute silence instead.

As she undressed, Stephanie could feel the ice cold stare from her husband, who was sitting against the headboard of the bed, waiting on her patiently to join him, his gaze falling onto her naked backside. Stephanie, within her hearts of hearts, could sense trouble on the horizon, but surprisingly, once again, there was nothing.

There was no shouting, there weren't any open threats of violence, there weren't any tears on Stephanie's behalf, just silence yet again. All Mark did as his wife slowly crept into the bed, as Stephanie anticipated his horrible temper about to flare up once more, was simply turn off the lights, positioning his body away from hers, falling asleep. He didn't even kiss her goodnight.

Normally when she and Mark slept together, Stephanie couldn't wait to be enveloped in her husband's strong, muscled arms. She liked knowing that as she slept, her husband was her protector, that he would and could shield her from anything negative in the outside world. But, as Stephanie lie in the bed motionless, staring up at the ceiling, she felt as if _she_ were the outside world, and that Mark was somehow protecting himself from _her_.

It made her feel cheap.

Even on the plane ride back home, during the long car drive back to his ranch, and all throughout Tuesday, Mark remained quiet. He worked on his bikes, he managed not to throw the two new CompTown USA employees, Jesse and Jordan, out of the house, thus completing the installation of their new in-home computer system, and when nightfall arrived, Mark drove into town on his bike, leaving Stephanie home alone. He didn't even tell her that he was leaving.

Eventually, all of the torturous silence and mental abuse that Stephanie had waged upon herself, in the middle of the night, without her husband's large and warm body next to her's, finally got the better of her, and without shame, Stephanie cried herself to sleep.

She felt horrible.

Stephanie knew deep down inside that Mark was just as upset about nearly losing the title as he was about Stephanie going to the ring to speak with Test, and even worse, he was probably disappointed in Stephanie, as well. Nothing quite unsettled her like the feeling of knowing that the one man that she loved the most was disheartened by her actions, actions that now, looking back on things, she admitted that she shouldn't have taken.

Stephanie had assured Mark that she and Test were only mere friends and acquaintances, nothing more and nothing less. But since he was presumably upset with her over all of this, then that told Stephanie that he didn't trust her.

Even when Stephanie had accused Mark of sleeping with Angel, when he assured her that the two of them had never had an affair, Stephanie believed him, because she trusted her husband that much. She knew that his word was bond and she eased her troubling thoughts about the entire situation, to the point where she had nearly forgotten all about her confrontation with the attorney.

In any relationship, there had to be trust, and if Mark couldn't trust Stephanie not to have some sort of extramarital affair with a friend, they didn't have anything, let alone a marriage.

All of those things combined made for a losing spirit, but now that Stephanie was leaning over the toilet of the master bathroom, thinking about all of these things, mixed with her current nausea, she easily felt the worst that she had felt in weeks, even more so than when she woke up the day after a night of binge drinking back in San Diego.

It was one thing for her to be physically sick, but to be mentally sick with worry was a whole other beast that Stephanie desperately wished she could slay.

Since Mark had yet to return home, Stephanie really wanted to go downstairs and make him a nice, hot breakfast, so they could hopefully settle this latest issue that they seemed to be having, but her stomach just wasn't allowing her to.

She wanted to convince Mark that Test was only a friend, that she had no intimate feeling for him whatsoever, but if she did, then she'd have plenty of mopping to do.

Normally, Stephanie, feeling herself having to throw up in the morning, would run to the nearest restroom outside of the master bedroom, since she didn't want to run the risk of waking her husband up every morning, but since he wasn't here and Stephanie's stomach was extra volatile this early morning, she quickly made her way into the master bathroom.

Maybe it was only a batch of bad nerves since Mark wasn't speaking to her or maybe it was her uncanny ability to detect brewing trouble with her woman's intuition, but for whatever reason, Stephanie's uneasiness this morning felt as if it more than just morning sickness. She couldn't pinpoint exactly what she was feeling, but she just felt odd about today. As if something bad was bound to happen.

_"Oh, shut up, McMahon. You think too much,"_ Stephanie heard her subconscious scold.

"Yeah, clearly," she said out loud.

And it was true. Stephanie did find herself worrying all too much about circumstances that she had little to no control over, when she should have really been focusing on the child growing inside of her. The last thing she needed to be doing at the moment was stressing herself out, since all of this could adversely affect her unborn baby, and she definitely didn't want that.

As she continued to hold her stomach in excruciating discomfort, tossing away thoughts of Mark for the moment, Stephanie suddenly heard a rattling noise coming from behind her. Since Mark had declined to come back home the night before, the only company Stephanie had was April, who had been playfully munching on her rattling chew toy all morning long.

While the constant rattling noise was a bit nerve wrecking for her, Stephanie felt that she should get used to this particular sound, since her quickly developing son or daughter would likely take to one, once their little hand muscles properly matured.

And while the thought of being a mom, bringing a new life into the world with the man that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, and the thoughts of their baby growing right before their very eyes should have been comforting to think about, in spite of her morning sickness, it really wasn't to Steph. Thoughts such as those only made her feel even more nauseated.

"DuetDHA."

Stirring at the mouth of the toilet boil, not only was Stephanie sick, but she also thought that she was a becoming a bit delirious now, hearing things in her head.

"This cant bode well for my psyche," she mouthed out miserably, sick to her stomach.

DuetDHA was the prenatal medication that Dr. Patrick-Graves had prescribed to Stephanie in order for her to maintain a healthy iron level while pregnant. So it bothered her that she could have sworn that she heard …

Hearing a rattling yet again, which sounded more like pills in a bottle being shaken up and down and not the sounds of April's doggy chew toy, Stephanie, slowly, as to not disturb her already upset stomach even more, turned her head slightly, but slightly was far too much, because at the base of the floor, Stephanie saw a pair of feet which did not belong to her.

"You know the great thing about having a computer in the house, Steph? You can look up all types of shit."

Slowly looking up from the floor to the ceiling, Stephanie traced her eye movements from the toe of a black boot all the way up to her husband's face, and he didn't look very pleasant, either. In fact, he looked very upset. For a moment, with Mark's face contorted in visible anger, Stephanie felt as if she were honestly staring into the opened gates of hell.

Stephanie, from the nausea in the pit of her stomach, and pure, unadulterated fear now, was visibly shaking. She was shaking and so was Mark, shaking a pill bottle that is, which vaguely looked liked the bottle her prenatal vitamins came in, the ones she misplaced in Boston.

Mark, as Stephanie watched him carefully, clutching the tiny bottle in his hand, slowly turned the label located on the front of the bottle in Stephanie's direction on the floor, which confirmed her fears: "DuetDHA" the label read.

As she continued to sit on the floor on her shins, Mark slowly began walking over to her. Stephanie, with each step, could literally feel the floor around her shaking almost. She was so struck with trepidation, she couldn't even move. It was if she had been frozen solid.

Standing right above her now, giving Stephanie not only a full frontal view of his crotch area, but also a vivid look at his scowling face, Mark asked contemptuously, "You know this whole World Wide Web phenomenon, Steph? People can look up just about anything on those damn computers. Did you know that, Stephanie?"

Stephanie had no idea if Mark's question was rhetorical or not, but in this instance, she didn't want to chance the opportunity of being wrong, so she nodded slightly, as her stomach topsy turvyed back and forth. She was so nervous her complexion had even turned pale.

"Sure you do," Mark stated again. "That's the reason why you wanted me to get that new computer downstairs. So we could surf the web like they do on TV, so we could join a CD club, buy all those CDs for just $1, so we could even play games on that damn thing downstairs. Remember how you told me Steph, the Internet is never wrong? You remember that?"

Nodding yet again, placing her hand over her gut, Mark continued.

"So, let's just say for argument's sake that everything on this Internet _is_ true, that nothing is a lie on the World Wide Web. Cause before we checked out yesterday, I found this pill bottle, addressed to Stephanie Calaway, on the floor near your bag, Steph," Mark said, as he bent down in front of his wife sitting on the floor, bringing the bottle eye level to Stephanie, the label on the front of it reading clearly: "Stephanie Calaway".

Shaking the pills in the bottle again, Mark asked, "You recognize this bottle, Steph? I mean, it's got your name on it."

Turning her head to look anywhere else but into her husband's burning green eyes, Stephanie, in spite of her disgustingly upset stomach, managed to nod a few times, before Mark replied notedly, "I didn't say nod, I asked you a question: do you recognize this bottle? Yes or no?"

With her heart nearly pounding of her chest, wanting badly to make a mad dash out of the room if her stomach would only cooperate, even if Mark would probably catch her, Stephanie answered bashfully, "Yes, sir."

Placing the bottle behind him on the vanity counter, Mark, still bending down in front of her, turning her head back to his with ease, then asked, "Now, before I say anything else, you want to come clean about any other prescription medication you might be on? I may have an addict for a wife and not even know it. We might have to get you some help."

Even though she knew he was being sarcastic, the only medicine Stephanie was currently taking was the DuetDHA, the only prescription medication that she could consume safely without harming the couple's unborn child.

Be that as it may, Stephanie was really hoping that Mark would get on with what it is that he had to say. He was obviously upset; his mannerisms completely gave him away, but delaying an argument was only making Stephanie even more sick than she already was.

Realizing however that Mark had asked her a question, Stephanie, almost through hiccups, replied gently, "No, sir."

Nodding, Mark then said, "That's good. Because, if you were, we'd want to get you some kind of professional treatment for your little, you know, illness. But, since I know the words honesty and McMahon go together like oil and water, when the two Comp geeks finished the installation of our brand new home computer, which Stephane _Calaway_ wanted so badly, I got them to look up a little something up for me. Check this out, Steph."

Then reaching into his pocket to retrieve a piece of folded up paper, never taking his eyes off his wife, however, Stephanie watched helplessly as Mark actually began to read the words printed on the other side of it.

"'DuetDHA is a prescription, prenatal multi-vitamin, mineral, and fatty acid used to treat or prevent vitamin deficiency before, during, or after pregnancy. This medication is designed to provide DHA, folic acid, and iron in pregnancy. Women of childbearing age …' that would be you … 'should maintain adequate levels of folic acid, either through diet or supplements, to prevent infant spinal cord defects in the developing baby.'"

Placing the paper next to the bottle on the counter, Stephanie, with shaky lip, watched as Mark stood back up to his six foot ten inch frame, folding his heavily tattooed arms over his chest, who in turn was staring back down at his wife furiously.

The jig was up. Mark had found out that Stephanie was pregnant!

"You want to explain this to me, Steph?" Mark asked rather calmly, not wanting to waste any more time with this latest development. His wife was pregnant. And if Stephanie was taking prenatal vitamins, then Mark knew that she had to have known about this for a substantial amount of time, and he wanted to know why she was hiding this information from him.

Dry mouthed, nervous, and shaking uncontrollably, all the way down to what felt like her bone marrow, Stephanie did the only thing that she could do: she threw up in the toilet once again.

Normally when Stephanie was sick, Mark was very attentive. He would hold her hair from her face, or rub along her stomach in an attempt to make the pain subside, or help Steph replenish her body with plenty of liquids and solids, but now, Mark wasn't doing any of those things.

He only kept his arms folded up over his chest, looking down at his wife as she finished regurgitating into the toilet bowl.

Dry heaving, with a very bitter taste in her mouth, hair her flying all about her face, Stephanie, looking back up at her husband again, breathless, started, "Mark … baby. I can explain …"

But before she could properly finish her statement, Mark, grabbing Stephanie about the waist, pulled her up to her feet, walking her back into the bedroom.

Of course, Stephanie went without a fight. After spending more than twenty minutes leaning over a toilet seat, she didn't have much fight left in her anyway, and even if she did, in Mark's frame of mind, she figured that resisting wouldn't be the wisest of decisions she could make.

As Mark sat on the edge of the bed, he pulled Stephanie on top of his knee. Stephanie, wearing only a slightly oversized WWF T-shirt, decided to forgo panties the night previously, hoping to allow her husband easy access into her in the case that he returned home.

But now that she was sitting over Mark's lap, she could feel her womanhood touching the fabric of his dark jeans, and she suddenly became red all over.

Mark had witnessed his wife nude so many times that Stephanie could now comfortably bathe, dress, and undress in front of him without embarrassment. But now, suddenly sitting bare behind on her husband's knee, Stephanie felt sheepish, which she attributed undoubtedly to Mark prematurely finding out on his own that she was pregnant.

Attempting to push the fabric of her shirt between her thighs, Mark suddenly pushed Stephanie's hands away from her, entrapping her arms in his. She wasn't going anywhere.

A plethora of emotions were coursing themselves all throughout Stephanie's body now, from guilt to chagrin. And even though she was sitting on her husband's lap, Stephanie couldn't even gather the courage to even look Mark in the face. This is not how she wanted to break the news to him.

"Stephanie," Mark called, as she continued to look down at her creamy bare thighs. "I want you to be honest with me. Are you pregnant?"

His words were clear as day and straight to the point, and even though Stephanie heard them clearly, her mind was so murky at the moment that she was honestly having a hard time comprehending exactly what her husband was asking of her. She felt dizzy even, her mind all too discombobulated.

"Steph," Mark started, tightening his grip around his wife, causing her to become alert again. "You know how I hate you keeping secrets from me. So once again, I'm asking you: are you pregnant?"

Still unable to quite look him in the face, knowing that there was nowhere to go or nothing to do in order to get herself out of this particular situation, Stephanie only nodded her confirmation, biting her lower lip as she continued to gaze down at her legs and at the floor.

Growing up, when Stephanie envisioned receiving the news that she and her future husband were expecting a child, she wanted the announcement for them to be special; she wanted the announcement that they were both expecting a new life to be so magical and so grand that a fireworks display would somehow showcase itself behind she and whomever her Romeo was, while the two kissed passionately in the foreground.

However, in this moment, knowing just how Mark had unearthed her pregnancy news on his own, there wasn't anything special, magical, or grand about any of this. Her situation presented itself as dire as best, and because she was now caught willingly withholding information from her husband, Stephanie began to shudder all over her body yet again.

Mark hated being lied to. In the past, he had warned Stephanie about the dangers of keeping things a secret from him, and she could only now imagine what he was going to react to this news of a baby.

Stephanie was so enamored with her mentally torturous thoughts that she failed to realize that an awkward silence had formed between the two. Nudging Stephanie's head back to eye level with the top of his forehead, not allowing her arms freedom, Mark stated plainly, "Words, Stephanie."

Looking up into his eyes, which burned with all seriousness, Stephanie found herself looking back down again, finally replying, "Yes."

Her answer was so soft, so quiet that she barely even heard the word escape her own lips.

This, however, wasn't good enough for her husband, who ordered, "Stephanie, I won't tell you again. Look at me."

Biting her lower lip and gathering only the smallest amount of courage she had left, since her heart was racing at a pace which was quite frankly unhealthy, Stephanie replied only a hint louder. "Yes."

Biting his own lip now, looking around the room, attempting to quell his anger from being lied to, Mark then asked, "So you kept this from me because …"

With a lump forming in the middle of her throat, Stephanie suddenly felt as if she wanted to cry.

Stephanie loved her husband. She wanted to be with him, but she honestly felt that deep down inside that Mark didn't want children with her. While the conversation had come up only briefly between the two in the past, if Mark couldn't even tell Stephanie that he loved her, then why would he want a child with her?

Children needed to be loved, nurtured, and cherished, to be told that their parents loved them dearly, but since he was incapable of seemingly saying even that to her, Stephanie hoped that by keeping her pregnancy a secret, that she could somehow convince her husband of telling her those three longed words that she was desperate to hear.

But thinking back on these last nearly two months with him, Stephanie, in that moment, quickly came to the realization that if Mark wasn't willing to say that he loved her before, then he wasn't going to say it to her now, even if she was pregnant, and that's what hurt the most.

"You're not speaking," Mark said, interrupting Stephanie's thoughts yet again. "I asked you why'd you keep this a secret from me. I want answers, Stephanie."

Letting her head hang again, while her hair was shielding parts of her face, Stephanie replied softly, barely audible, "I was afraid …"

Realizing that he wasn't going to get his desired response from her at this rate, Mark, untangling his arms from around hers, grabbed Stephanie about the chin, forcing her to look up at him.

"Afraid of what?"

Even with Mark holding her chin in order for her to look at him, Stephanie still attempted to bring her eyes back down, as she fiddled with her fingers anxiously. She was a nervous wreck. But with Mark holding her chin tightly and him forcing her fumbling hands apart with his free one, there was no other way in which she could look, and nothing else that she could do.

And it didn't help the fact that she was trembling all over, despite the relative warm humidity on the outside, along with the fact that she found herself shedding tears again. This should have been the most momentous announcement in Stephanie's young life … but it wasn't.

Yet, even though his wife was crying in his lap, Mark found that her tears were only further testing his resolve. This was no ordinary conversation that the two of them were having. This was a talk about an unborn child, and Mark quite frankly didn't care if Stephanie was crying or not.

"Steph …" Mark said, looking at Stephanie directly into her blue eyes. And while the truth was undoubtedly hurting on the inside, Stephanie allowed her feelings to be felt on the outside.

"I was afraid … afraid that you'd leave me," she stammered softly.

Internally, she felt defeated.

In her mind, Stephanie had gotten pregnant by a man who refused to even acknowledge that he loved her, and now that he had everything he wanted out of life, he was going to leave her. Why would he want so much unnecessary baggage? And then she'd become the statistic, a young, divorced mother that she feared she'd always would be. It was all coming true for her now.

Nodding, but not truly understanding Stephanie's logic, Mark asked again, "You thought I'd leave you because …?"

For this, however, Stephanie had no real answer. She wanted to reveal to him her insecurities about him potentially abandoning her, but she just wasn't that courageous to actually verbalize her thoughts, so she simply attempted to look in the other direction, shaking her head slightly.

Hearing Mark breathe in and out loudly, as if he were attempting to calm his rising temper, Steph was nearly floored when Mark asked, "So, who's is it?"

Confused, not understanding what he was truly asking now, Stephanie, within stutters, asked, "What … what do you mean who's is it?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Stephanie," Mark stated bluntly, pointing his finger in Stephanie's exasperated face. "You know what I'm asking you. If you're pregnant, I want to know by who."

Insulted, as if Mark had put his hands on her, Stephanie gasped before saying, nearly dumbfounded, "Mark … Mark … what do you … what do you mean … you know that you're …"

"All I know is that the lone woman I foolishly thought I could trust," Mark said coarsely, still pointing his forefinger in Stephanie's face. "The one woman that I _thought_ I had an understanding with, walked down to the ring the other night to meet _another_ man, on top of this same woman lying to me about being pregnant. That's what I do know, _Stephanie_."

"Mark … baby. It's not like that," Stephanie offered, shaking her head frantically. "I didn't lie to you."

"Oh, really?"

Shaking her head again, as her tussled hair swept across her face, Stephanie answered frantically, "No, I didn't. Please, I can explain everything if you just let me!"

Obviously, Mark had gotten the wrong impression about her not informing him of her pregnancy, and she needed to clear up the matter with him as quickly as she possibly could. Twisting his body, leaving Stephanie alone on the bed, Mark began pacing around the room. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

At thirty four years of age, Mark was expecting his first child. And Stephanie had failed to inform him of this. To say that he was mad was an understatement. All of the things that he would have normally done in this instance were no longer valid since Stephanie was expecting. He couldn't put his hands on her, not even sexually, but that didn't stop him from thinking about those same things he would have normally done in this instant.

When he initially planned for Stephanie to live with him, he wanted to do as he pleased with her body, and for the most part, he had. He figured that the quicker that he got her pregnant, the quicker he could tie her down with a child, the better he could use and manipulate her in order to keep the control of the company for as long as possible. That's why he failed to restrain himself in those first few instances of romance he and Stephanie shared together.

And since Stephanie was so innocent at the time, even though she was aware of the basic fundamentals of sex, she believed him when he lied to her and told her that he hadn't ejaculated inside of her. She was clean and so was he. Somewhere in between, however, plans changed.

Before, Stephanie was only a game to him, a woman who he planned to have no emotional attachment to whatsoever. He even callously figured that he could learn to form some sort of bond with the child that they would produce together in the latter years of growing up. That was in the beginning.

Now, when he was nearly sure that Stephanie _wasn't_ pregnant, because he _had_ grown to love her, she really _was_ expecting a child. But at this moment, Mark, especially after he caught Stephanie's perceived flirting with Test, wasn't quite so sure this baby was even his.

In his opinion, women were fickle, and since Stephanie would always be a McMahon, despite her new last name, he was no longer convinced on if he could still trust her to be honest with him or not.

Stopping in front of her, staring down at her again, while Stephanie looked back up at him, nearly terrified, as if she were a child about to receive a punishment, Mark replied, "Steph, you lied to me. You lied to me about _this_. Of all damn things to lie about, you lie about this?"

"Mark, I didn't lie to you," Stephanie attempted to rationalize. "I was just waiting on the right moment to tell you."

"Oh, no? What the fuck do you call this? You might not have lied straight out, but it's still a lie of omission, nearly the same damn thing," he lectured. "Steph, you're pregnant, with who's kid, I don't know …"

"Mark, how dare you!?" Stephanie shouted flabbergasted. It was one thing for Mark to be upset, but to question the paternity of their child, when she would never cheat on him, was going entirely too far in her opinion. She wanted to reach back and slap him as hard as she could.

Up until Monday, Stephanie had never given Mark a reason to believe that she was seeing anyone else behind his back, but on numerous occasions, whether it was his interactions with Saphirra, the girls in the basement, the lipstick on his neck, and even Angel eluding that the two of them were having their own affair, each time that Stephanie confronted Mark about all of this, he denied ever taking part in any extramarital affairs, and she believed him.

But now, not even after a kiss, Mark was accusing her of cheating on him and producing a child with someone else? She was heartbroken, and the hot tears of hurt began to stream down her face unabashedly.

Shaking, nearly stuttering, Stephanie managed, "Mark, you know I haven't been with anyone else! You've the only person I've ever been with …"

"Except Test," Mark inserted quickly. "Oh, wait a minute, Andrew," he mocked, voicing the superstar's name the same way Stephanie had done in the past.

Lips quivering, not believing how Mark was accusing her of cheating on him, Stephanie started, "I …"

Before she could even complete her teary eyed statement, Stephanie squelched as Mark jumped in her face violently, planting his arms on either side of her on the bed viciously. He was incensed!

"_You_ went down to the ring for _him_, and now … now you tell me you're pregnant?!"

Stephanie could understand why Mark was upset with her, but she just couldn't fathom that he would be this upset. This was supposed to be the happiest moment in their lives!

Pleading for reason with him, Stephanie, shivering all over, "Mark, it wasn't anything like that. I … I don't … Test … Andrew … is that the reason you haven't been home? Because of him?"

Looking down at Stephanie, Mark had a subdued anger. He wanted to, under normal circumstances, teach Stephanie a lesson that she would never forget. Seemingly, his warning about hugging Austin hadn't fully resonated with her, but in her current state, he couldn't risk the safety of her pregnancy, even if he truly wanted to do other things to her had it not been for that.

And then there was Test. Unlike Stephanie, Mark had plans to make Test's life, from now until the unforeseeable future, absolutely hell, and he'd start at the next Monday Night Raw.

Test had broken one of the most important unwritten rules in the WWF locker room, and that was to never interfere in another man's relationship or marriage. And Mark planned to make Test pay over and over and over again, until he decided that Test was all paid up.

In Mark's mind, Test was obviously taking him lightly. Test obviously did not respect him as the majority shareholder of the company, and in due time, Mark inwardly promised to make Test wish he had never stepped foot inside of a WWF ring. Compared to what Mark had in mind, he wanted Test to believe that working for the likes of Paul Heyman in ECW would be a paradise.

"Stephanie, you went to college, so you're not entirely stupid, so let me break it down to you, Princess," Mark grated, as he continued to stand over Stephanie domineeringly.

"First you accused me of fucking Saphirra, then you accused me of fucking Angel. Now, after all that shit you've talked, that whole good girl act, you go down to a ring, 'pregnant', a ring you should've been nowhere near, to meet another fucking man. If you were any other woman, I'd …"

Flinching, Stephanie, feeling as if Mark was actually going to strike her, afraid that he was going to lose all patience with her, was in full panic mode now.

With all of the arguments that they had had in the past, Stephanie never felt Mark was this impassioned about anything like he was at the moment. Mark could be downright cruel and evil when upset, but now that he was walking away from her, nearly shaking himself, as well, Stephanie didn't truly know what to say.

Grabbing his own hair now in clear frustration, Mark, attempting to remain as civilized as possible, asked, "How far along are you?"

Answering immediately, Stephanie replied, "Six weeks today. Mark, how can you … I've never, I _would_ never …"

She suddenly found herself trailing off again. She was in so much agony over the man that she loved accusing her of cheating on him that she could barely sit upright. She was nauseous all over again, and it had nothing to do with her morning sickness, either. The physical ailment which made her feel sick now was emotional heartbreak. She honestly felt as if Mark was ripping her heart right out of her chest.

As Stephanie sat on the bed in near shock, blankly staring into space almost, Mark mentally counted and added the weeks of Stephanie's pregnancy together. If she were being honest with him, then she more than likely got pregnant during one of the first few times that had sex … which is how he initially planned things.

But then again, he figured that she could also be lying. She didn't physically look pregnant, and who's to say that she really was a virgin? She sure _felt_ like a virgin when they first had sex, but he had been with enough women to know that feelings weren't everything.

Plus, Mark didn't recall seeing any blood in their sheets after her presumed first time, and he remembered vividly how Stephanie admitted how she wasn't spotting after her so called "virginity" was taken, either. Plus, he had yet to view a sonogram, too.

_"That's it."_

Looking over at Stephanie sitting on the edge of the bed, who in turn was shaking profusely, Mark asked in his booming voice, "Where's the picture of the baby?"

Stephanie was so distracted with the madness of her thoughts, she barely heard Mark's question. "The what?"

"The picture of the baby," he found himself near shouting. He was enraged almost, but he wanted to keep his down. Whether or not this baby truly was his or not, he didn't want to upset some pregnant lady. He wasn't that cruel, even when he wanted to be.

"Stop playing stupid, Steph," Mark ordered, staring another dimension through Stephanie, as she looked back up at him truly frightened. "They give you a little cut out thing of the baby. Where is it?"

"It's … it's in the nightstand," she answered truthfully. She just didn't understand Mark. One moment Mark was her darkened Casanova, and while she should have informed him earlier of her pregnancy, she realized now that no matter what, Mark was still going to leave her. She felt she was only prolonging the inevitable. His actions at the moment only reinforced that.

"Go and get it," he managed calmly, although he was far from calm.

Walking over to her side of the bed, Stephanie opened one of the drawer doors of the nightstand. Picking up a family photo album, which she had brought back with her from Greenwich, so she could visibly remind herself of all the great times she and her family once shared, Stephanie flipped to a specific page right in the middle of the book, bringing out the sonogram that Mark had requested.

Walking over to him, Mark had the urge the snatch the photo away from her, among other things, but he held his composure, which was very unusual for him. Mark was a kind of man who took actions first and asked questions later, so the fact that he was pre-screening his conduct against Stephanie truly did mean he was attempting to keep his temper at bay.

Looking over the sonogram, Mark could only make out what Stephanie had seen during her ultrasound, a small, black bubble surrounded by a gray, grainy area, which Mark believed was the inside of Stephanie's stomach. There was no indication about how far along Stephanie truly was, however, so he knew that he had to take her for now.

The second most important thing to him, however was the date printed on the top right, which displayed 06-03-1999, the time, 02:22:27 pm. The name on the left side of the sonogram revealed another telling piece of evidence, as well: CALAWAY, STEPHANIE, M.

While the picture of what he presumed was a baby confirmed that Stephanie was indeed pregnant, Mark somehow still had his doubts about her now. He realized that he shouldn't, but he couldn't quite get over the fact that Stephanie had been lying to him for so many weeks now.

Under normal circumstances, Stephanie would never lie to Mark, but her actions as of late, from planning a phony abduction, to not telling him that she may or may not have been speaking to Test, even after he asked her, and now lying about her pregnancy made it really hard for him to believe anything that she was saying.

And the McMahon's, with their wealth and their known uncanny ability to become a wolf in sheep's clothing, in Mark's opinion, who was truly to say that Stephanie hadn't somehow faked this sonogram, as well?

Vince and Linda had people everywhere. They even had a few working relationships with various film studios in Hollywood, so it wouldn't be hard for Stephanie to fake being pregnant just in order to trap him.

And that's when he began thinking, _"Why? What would Stephanie gain from lying to me like this?"_

With Mark, by getting Stephanie pregnant, he gained continued control over the WWF Federation, gained virtually unlimited power and authority, and he also gained the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the entertainment industry.

He could make Stephanie's life a living hell if things weren't going his way, and in turn, he gained what he wanted out of life. After all, no one wanted to see the bubbly Stephanie McMahon hurt, and people would do anything to keep her healthy and safe.

_"But what does she gain from lying to me about being pregnant? Why did she lie in the first place? What's her motive?"_

Bringing the sonogram back down to his side, Mark, glaring at Stephanie, squinting his eyes from distrust, stared back at Stephanie, who was standing there before him, looking as if she were truly going to faint. Realizing that they were too close, and with his temper rising, Mark took several steps away from her, as Stephanie in turn sat on the edge of the bed again.

"You lied to me," Mark pointed out blankly, placing his foot against the wall of the master bedroom door, folding his arms over his chest.

Without saying anything, Stephanie simply nodded her head, admitting her guilt. Once again, she couldn't even look over to her husband to face him. All she wanted to do now was let her relationship with Mark end maturely. She'd pack her belongings and she'd tell Vince that the deal was off between the two of them. She didn't want to further delay the eventual endgame.

"You lied to me. You lied to me about a kid. And then you want to know why I question you. Why should I believe that this baby that you're supposedly pregnant with is mines?"

Again, silence from Stephanie. She merely fiddled with her fingers and stared at the hardwood floor of the bedroom. She had too much on her mind to say anything, and in his own right, Stephanie realized that Mark had every reason to be upset with her, but the fact that he would question the paternity of their unborn baby, in every essence, lifted the soul from her body.

In those few instances, as she sat on the edge of the bed in a near catatonic state, Stephanie's mind went into overdrive, thinking of all the things, from February until now, which had transpired between she and Mark.

The burning of her teddy bear, checking in and out of various hotel rooms under fake names, being abducted, married in front of millions on Raw, being the recipient of a spanking, having her virginity taken, having her first motorcycle ride, moving back to Greenwich, buying her new car, everything, every event of the past, the good and the bad, all started to run together for Stephanie. It felt as if her mind was on the verge of catastrophic failure.

She realized that her marriage, for the past near two months, hadn't been anything but one long, continuous argument with a sprinkling of happy times in between. Mark would never love her, and she knew now that it would be best if she finally left … for good this time.

As Mark planned to continue the scolding of his wife, Stephanie, without much thought, felt her body unintentionally rising from the bed, as Mark yelled, "Did I tell you to get up?" However, Stephanie was only absently hearing her husband; nothing was cognitive at this point.

Slowly walking into the bathroom, where the couple's closet resided, Mark followed behind Stephanie furiously.

_"First she lied to me, now she's blatantly disobeying me?"_

Going into the closet, Stephanie grabbed an empty duffle bag, not even her usual Louis Vuitton carryall, and carefully, sitting on the carpeted floor all too carefully, began placing various blouses, pairs of pants, and other articles of clothing, which were neatly stored away on hangers, into the bag, piece by piece.

It was pretty obvious to her that Mark wouldn't want her around anymore, much like the previous time when he wanted her to return to Greenwich. He was obviously unhappy with her, so she only wanted to make him happy now by leaving. And maybe she would get that abortion.

Walking behind her, Mark had the mind to pick Stephanie back up to her feet by her hair, but he had to remember to remain calm. As she continued to sit on the floor, folding clothes into her bag as if she were perfectly calm, Mark walked in front of her, looking down at the floor.

Ordering her to lift her head, Mark looked down into eyes he wasn't quite familiar with.

She didn't look like the Stephanie of old. She looked lost, as if she were almost ready to give up on life. It wasn't the look of a woman who was merely having a disagreement with her husband; this was the look of a woman who was dejected of love and was completely void of all emotions.

She no longer exuded a certain sexy confidence about herself. In fact, at the moment, Stephanie looked as if she had aged about ten years. He wasn't used to this woman before him.

Mouthing out "shit" under his breath, Mark slowly bent down to her eye level again, but Stephanie refused to meet his gaze. She only kept folding various articles of clothing neatly into the duffle bag.

Grabbing her hand and forcing her to stop packing, Mark moved Stephanie's face back to his with a gentle tug on the chin. Again, she looked absolutely heartbroken.

Before he could even say anything in response to her packing, Stephanie began crying again. But unlike before where she would openly shed tears, the sound of her cries sounded raw, as if she were experiencing a death of a very close friend or family member.

And in a lot of ways, Stephanie really did feel as if she were experiencing a death. She was losing her husband and a potential child. Her pain was undeniable, and even though Mark had witnessed Stephanie crying countless times in the past, these tears were not the same kind of tears shed in the past.

In that moment, throughout the past few weeks, Mark knew that he had undoubtedly, more so than ever, messed up. He was wrong for accusing Stephanie of both cheating on him and fathering a child with another man, but he couldn't think of any other excuse as to why Stephanie lied to him about being pregnant.

She had mentioned something previously about being afraid, but in Mark's estimation, that was still no excuse to keep something as important as pregnancy a secret from him, and while he may have admitted to him that he was out of character for accusing Stephanie of adultery, he honestly didn't feel as if he could ever trust Stephanie again after this.

Realizing that he had potentially hurt his wife far worse than he ever intended, Mark, sitting on the floor, grabbing her around the arms, pulled Stephanie into her, attempting to soothe her cries, but this was obviously easier said than done.

Stephanie was devastated. She had never felt a hurt like this, an emotional stabbing so to speak, ever in her entire life, and the one man she did trust not to hurt her in a way such as this, just had. She felt debilitated.

Rocking her back and forth, palming her hair as they continued to sit on the floor of the closet, it took Stephanie nearly twenty minutes to finally calm down, and even when she felt that she had, when she tried to articulate speech, her words only jumbled together. And in between the constant barrage of coughs and hiccups, she truly wasn't able to say much of anything.

The two must have sat quietly, except for the sniffling and hiccuping coming from Stephanie, for another ten minutes or so, before Stephanie, clutching her husband's T-shirt, was finally able to speak somewhat clearly.

"Mark … I," Stephanie stammered, gulping and sniveling still. She was shattered over Mark's allegations, but if she were going to go back home to Greenwich, she wanted to clear the air between the two of them once and for all.

"I … I would never ch … cheat on you. I lo … love you … Test … Andrew … I would never …"

"Shh," Mark found himself shushing, as he rubbed up and down Stephanie's back. It was apparent that Stephanie wasn't thinking clearly, and in all honesty, neither was he. He realized that he had already caused her enough anguish for a lifetime, so he didn't want her to continue blaming or attempting to defend himself. They both needed answers and closure.

"Steph, I fucked up. I fucked up badly. You know how I am, not all sympathetic like, but what I'm asking you is to forgive me. I'm sorry. I crossed a line that I should have never crossed."

Normally in a situation such as this, Mark would want Stephanie to make eye contact with him, but at the moment, he himself was afraid of facing her. It was rare of him to admit his guilt, but seeing Stephanie literally in shambles felt as if he was destroying a piece of himself.

He had never cared for a woman like Stephanie ever, not even Amy Jo who he himself wanted to marry at one point. It was just something about Stephanie that made him feel whole, and when she was like this, hurt beyond words, or even when she returned to Greenwich, he felt as if his soul had been fragmented.

In all honesty, he knew why, but he wasn't ready to admit it, not at the moment at least.

"My mind's fucked up. Alright? I've been drinking and … I'm sorry," he found himself apologizing yet again. Before Stephanie, he never apologized to anyone. He never apologized to Kane, members of the Ministry, anyone. And yet, he was able to do so multiple times to her.

Managing to lift her head from Mark's shirt, which was nearly drenched in tears, Stephanie, looking up into her husband's green eyes, grief-stricken, managed to nod her head slowly, which felt as if it could burst right down the middle at any moment it was throbbing so badly.

But once again, before she could say anything, Mark, massaging her hair, said, "Steph, I never meant to hurt you. I said some shit that should have never escaped my lips. There ain't no but's. _But_, what I do need to know is why you felt the need to hide you being pregnant. I need to know, Stephanie."

Shaking her head once again absently, Stephanie, finally able to sit in front of Mark without his support, replied softly, "Baby, I honestly didn't know how to break the news to you. I was waiting for the right time. I thought you'd leave me."

She was looking down at the floor again, fidgeting with her fingers. She was filled with shame all over again. She was sitting in front of her husband, in the couple's closet, next to a bag for traveling. To Stephanie, this was the couple's final act. The curtain was officially about to close on their marriage. After this, there would be no encore. There would be no coming back.

Confused as to why Stephanie would think that he would leave her because she was pregnant, Mark said bluntly, "Stephanie, the only way, the _only_ way, I could and _would_ leave you is if you cheated on me and that baby is not mines," Mark ended, pointing at Stephanie's stomach.

Then, grabbing her by the hands, as Stephanie actually forced herself to finally face him again, looking up into her husband's strong facial features, Mark then said, "Steph, I found those pills and didn't know what to think. First you say that you're near your period, that's what you and Saphirra went into town for. But then I find those? You tell me you think I'm gone leave you, but if you're pregnant and you're hiding it from me …"

"Mark, I just didn't know how to tell you. I was afraid of your reaction," Stephanie interrupted this time, biting her lower lip again. "You have everything you ever wanted, the title, the company. I just didn't know how you'd react. Plus …"

And with that, Stephanie found herself trailing off yet again, looking down at the floor. She hated admitting the truth, even to herself. But was there any other way around it?

"Plus? Plus, what?" Mark asked intrinsically, wriggling at Stephanie's hands, forcing her to look up at him again. Again, all he saw were hurt filled eyes.

She was being vague on purpose, as if she were trying to keep this secret away from him for not only her sake, but for Mark's, as well. As if she were attempting to protect the both of them from something. Stephanie believed in this secret dearly, and Mark desperately sought the truth.

Doing something completely out of character for him, Mark, placing his hands over her stomach, as to indicate a growing child, began kneading Stephanie's stomach gently, as she looked down at his hands doing so.

Her husband's hands essentially on their child felt right to Stephanie. She didn't want to leave again. But she felt that she honestly no longer had a choice in this matter.

"Steph, tell me," Mark said shortly. It was either the complete truth with them in this situation or nothing at all.

Shaking her head, then looking down at Mark's hands gently massaging her belly, Stephanie, getting choked up once more, on the verge of tears, replied carefully, "Because you don't love me."

Suddenly feeling like a ton of bricks had just fell on top of his body, as he continued to rub Stephanie's stomach gently, Mark took several seconds to follow up Stephanie's assertion by asking, "And why don't you think that I love you?"

Answering almost immediately, Stephanie, breathy, replied, "Because you've never said it."

And it was true. Mark had never admitted that he loved Stephanie. He felt that he loved her, but things of this nature weren't exactly easy for him to admit.

Remembering back to his relationship with Amy Jo, one of the things that she had been so upset about, other than Mark's unwillingness to slow down and take time off from wrestling, at a time when he then considered himself to be at his career peak, was the fact that even after years of being together, Mark had never revealed that he loved her.

True, at the time, he did love Amy Jo, but the last time that Mark had uttered those words were years prior, to his mother's headstone, at the cemetery in which she was buried.

Mark knew that he suffered from some pretty dark and deep demons in life, which had effectively shut him off from the rest of the world, and now his relationships, whether with Amy Jo, Lori, or with Stephanie, they all had a common flaw to them: Mark wasn't able to verbalize "I love you".

Sighing, realizing that there was a definite pattern in his love life, more so now than ever, Mark, rubbing up and down Stephanie's sides gingerly replied, "Go on."

Sighing herself now, Stephanie managed, "Like I said, you have everything you ever wanted out of life, and now, here I come, ruining things for you with a baby and with a woman that you don't love. I'm sorry."

Suddenly angry with himself, since Stephanie was under the true impression that everything between wrong between them at the moment was her fault, Mark, grabbing Stephanie by the chin and forcing her to look up at him, went, "You're not sorry. You have no right to be. Is that why you're packing? Because you think I don't love you?"

Looking over at her husband again, the man she was very much in love with, Stephanie responded with a simple nod.

In her mind, there was nothing left to be said. She loved Mark but Mark wasn't able to reciprocate those feelings back for her. It hurt, and it hurt badly, but this was the unfortunate reality that she found herself stuck in.

Nodding, looking around the closet for a second, Mark then asked, "So, where were you going?"

"Maybe back to Greenwich," Stephanie answered truthfully.

_"Maybe?"_

Nodding once again slowly, Stephanie looked down to the floor once more and whispered softly, "Or maybe somewhere for just me and the baby."

"Like where?" Mark asked inquisitively.

"I don't know. I thought about moving to maybe California or Florida or someplace," she answered truthfully yet again.

Whenever Mark was asking Stephanie questions back to back like this, she felt as if she were being interrogated. Strangely, most times, she liked that Mark was so attentive, that he could be playfully or seriously nosy.

But now, if the two of them were breaking up, this time for good, why did he care about where she would move back to? She knew that he didn't want anything to do with her or the baby.

Nodding once again, this time sucking his teeth, which would normally indicate trouble, Mark asked gravely, "So you just planned to up and leave this state … with my child?"

Confused as to where Mark was going with all this, Stephanie, lifting her head again, was about to speak up on her own defense, explaining why she felt it was necessary now for she and the baby to leave, but Mark beat her to the punch again.

"Steph, I'm gone give it you straight, alright?" Mark started, letting go of Stephanie's hands.

_"Oh, God. I knew it. He wants me gone."_

Rubbing up and down his face with his hands, feeling mentally tortured, Mark finally said truthfully, "I wanted you for selfish reasons only. I think we've already established that. In the beginning, and I'm being perfectly honest here, I wanted you to get pregnant."

Utterly confused, dry mouthed, Stephanie couldn't believe exactly what she was hearing. Mark _wanted_ her pregnant, but now he was upset that she was actually pregnant?

"Steph, you know at first I didn't give a damn about you. I didn't give a damn about anything. I wanted to tie you down, keep you hear in Texas with me. With you pregnant, I figured that you couldn't go anywhere."

"But … but why?" Stephanie stammered, dumbfounded.

She knew that in the beginning of their relationship, Mark had more than a few selfish gains and goals for the mere act marrying her alone, but hearing this from his own mouth, hearing how he purposely wanted to make her a young mother, just in order to somehow keep her, almost forced her to the verge of tears yet again.

_"I've always been a pawn to him. This confirms it."_

"I thought you loved me," Stephanie managed, sniffling once again.

She had honestly thought that after all these weeks, she and Mark had finally gotten to a place where they could both love one another both openly and freely. Mark had proposed to Stephanie, moved her into his house, and she had taken his last name. Now, with his admission that he was only using her, all of that seemed to be in vain.

_"Was all that too just to keep me? Because I was … am … a McMahon?"_

"Steph, in the beginning," Mark continued. "I wanted to do any and everything within my means to keep you … by force that is. Soon, it became by choice, because … Stephanie, after we talked, we talked about birth control and all that, remember that?"

Watching as Stephanie nodded solemnly, Mark continued. "After we had that talk, I decided not to go the whole forced baby route with you. Why? Because you intrigued me, Stephanie. There was something about you that I liked. I started respecting your mind. Little by little.

And then, more and more, you started being who I wanted to you to be. _This_ Stephanie, not the Greenwich snob from before. I know you think I'm fucked up in the head, and you know, you wouldn't be wrong about that fact, either, but I'm not fucked up in how I feel about you."

As long, slow tears washed down Stephanie's face, her next question, in spite of all that had been said and done in the day, from Mark accusing her of having an affair to admitting that he used her, was simple: "How do you feel about me?"

Placing his hands in his dry hair, blowing out air from his lips, Mark replied, "Stephanie, I'm going to repeat something you told me once: I love you. I'm _in_ love with you. It's just hard for me to say those kinds of things."

Hearing Mark finally admit that he in fact did love with her was enough to make her collapse into a heap of tears again. Not because she was hurt, but because she had longed for this moment for so long, for weeks upon weeks now, and in even in this moment, she was hearing it.

Emotional beyond words, Stephanie's flow of tears continued, until Mark gently pulled her into his awaiting arms, having to calm his wife all over again.

And as he continued to rub along Stephanie's jawline, her waist, and her hair, Mark, did something that he rarely ever did, and that as admit the truth to something yet again.

He admitted to Stephanie that he had his own self-doubt and insecurities about being a father. He was thirty four, and although he admitted to having selfish means for attempting to gain a child with Stephanie previously, the thought of both of them being parents now concerned him.

Mark was a hardened and darkened individual. He didn't want Stephanie to leave him; he had just openly, for the first time, admitted that he loved her, but he had serious doubts about his ability to raise an innocent child.

Stephanie, wiping her face, admitted to having her own doubts about being a mother, as well, which she revealed was part of the reason why she felt the need to keep her pregnancy a secret from him. She admitted that while she initially wanted to keep the baby, the thoughts of abortion had crossed her mind recently. She didn't want to be an inept parent, and unfortunately, Mark, sitting on the floor with Stephanie, thought the same thing.

How would they, at this stage in their life, effectively raise a child? While Mark was thirty four, Stephanie was twenty two. She had her whole life ahead of her. And in many ways, she was still on a journey of finding herself.

Sure, they were both married and admittedly in love, but raising a child within the hectic confines of the World Wrestling Federation presented a whole host of other issues.

Mark was married to Stephanie, but he was also married to to the business. Even though his house show schedule had been freed up due to him becoming the majority shareholder of the company, Mark was normally on the road 300 days in a year. The thought of him being home for only about sixty five of those days to see his child bothered him.

Plus, Stephanie couldn't be on the road full time. She would have to stay behind here in Houston and raise a child definitively on her own for the remainder of the days that Mark wasn't at home. They weren't even two months into marriage and already they were expecting a child?

Mark didn't believe in abortions. He wanted to raise the baby that he made, but the cons certainly outweighed the pros in this matter, so as the two wrapped themselves up in each other's arms, they thought and talked extensively about becoming parents, and consciously, they both came to a mutual decision.

And the decision that they made was what they both felt was the best decision that they could possibly make as impending parents.


End file.
